All In Good Time
by sierraemilie
Summary: Remus waited years to have his wife back. When she returns to present time, she can't remember her name or anything for that matter. It's up to Remus, Harry and Ron to bring Hermione's memory back. Time Turner story with some fluff, possible adult themes later, lots of Murauders/blasts from the past and a story of love and healing. Rated M to be on the safe side. AU.
1. Fog

All In Good Time

Chapter 1.

Fog

The first thing the young woman noticed when she woke up was a voice. She was awake but didn't want the person in the room to know. She laid there with her eyes closed, hoping to get her barring's. Thru her closed lids she noticed she was in a very bright room and this room smelled familiar. Latex, and bleach first came to mind. It was becoming difficult to ignore the constant beeping coming from machines that were all around her and she tried not to panic. She was most definitely in a hospital bed. She heard a knock and then someone enter.

"Mr. Lupin? My name is Dr. Carr. I'm taking over your wife's case because I think I can help." By the doctor's voice, she thought he sounded young.

"Dr. Carr. Nice to meet you. But…How? How can you help? She's been in a coma for two weeks now…" Mr. Lupin sounded older with obvious distraught in his voice.

"Mr. Lupin, let me start by saying I know what you are. My feeling are she doesn't need to be in a muggle hospital. Her tests are showing things that my colleagues don't understand. And please, feel free to keep your wand out." Dr. Carr said with reassurance. The woman continued to listen, trying to understand the gibberish the two men were speaking about. Muggles? Her head started to throb, but she stayed completely still, listening.

"You're a Wizard?" Lupin asked.

"Yes sir, I went to Beauxbatons, studied muggle healing as well as caring for magical beings." Dr. Carr answered. "Now Mr. Lupin, I have some theories about your wife, but I'm afraid that will have to wait as she is very much awake. Isn't that right Mrs. Lupin?"

The woman's voice hitched and she opened her eyes. The florescent lighting blinding her, and the headache increasing. A very handsome man was by her side but looked nervous. His sandy blond hair had greys and his eyes were hazel with an occasional flash of amber. "Where am I?" she said with a croak.

"Sweet heart. It's…well It's a bit complicated but you are in a hospital. You've been in a coma for for two weeks." Tears started forming around the man's eyes as he grabbed her hand.

The woman looked at him wide eyed. She had no memory of this man and he was calling her sweet heart. She searched in her mind but it was blank. Her rapid heartbeat was picked up on the machine, beeping obnoxiously fast. Wait, Did the doctor say he was my husband?

She looked to Dr. Carr. He was indeed young but the worry lines on his forehead made her think he is older in his experiences. He too was handsome and his smile was warm. The doctor, noticing her panic began to ask questions he just hoped she could answer. "Do you remember what happened Mrs. Lupin?" She shook her head no. "Mrs. Lupin, would you please tell me your first name?"

"Of course she knows her name! I don't see the relevance Doctor!" Mr. Lupin looked furious. What was Dr. Carr implying?

"Mr. Lupin, I'd appreciate it if you let me handle this. Now Mrs. Lupin, could you tell us your first name?"

The woman was about to speak when her mind fell blank. Her face strained as she tried to give an answer. Her name…"_what is my name!_" she thought.

"Sweet heart…." Remus Lupin's face was suddenly contorted with pain.

"I…I'm sorry Doctor. I don't remember."

The doctor dragged a very angry husband out into the lobby. He didn't want his patient to witness the rage.

"You better start talking Doctor. You do not want to cross me." Lupin threatened. He couldn't think straight and was beginning to see red. His inner wolf was thrashing in his mind, waiting to pounce on the man before him.

"Mr. Lupin, please, I am asking you to calm down…" After speaking those words Dr. Carr mentally slapped himself. "_Probably not the best choice of words"___he thought. Remus Lupin stepped forward, towering over the Doctor.

"CALM DOWN?! DO YOU KNOW WHAT I'M CAPABLE OF?! TWO WORDS DOC. FUUUUU" and then Remus was silenced with a silencing charm. He noticed the lobby full of muggles staring at him while some tried to cover their children's ears. He closed his eyes while he took a rattled deep breath.

The doctor gestured for the man to follow him. As they passed the nurses station the nurses gave him a sympathetic look. He pulled Mr. Lupin into his office, shut the door, muttered "muffliato" with a flick of his hand and released the silencing charm on Mr. Lupin.

"Sit Mr. Lupin. Have some tea and a biscuit." Dr. Carr said in hopes that maybe this man would calm down. "She has amnesia. Please do not take offense at what I'm about to say Mr. Lupin because I am just going to make some observations." The doctor waited with a raised eye brow to see if the man would blow up. He took a breath and continued. "I can't help but notice that your wife is…what about 18 years old? I promise I am not judging but I feel you are keeping something from me and I promise you Mr. Lupin, it will only be detrimental to your wife's health if you continue to keep me in the dark."

Remus knew he had to tell the doctor. For a doctor so young he spoke with the same strength as Albus Dumbledore and it was kind of freaking Remus out. He suddenly felt like he was 17 again, in the Headmasters office with the four other Marauders… Oh Hermione. Another deep breathe gave him the courage to speak. "You would be correct that something is a bit off with her. Hermione was sent back in time to when I was attending Hogwarts. It was my 6th year and she just sort of showed up on the train ride to school." His voice was barely audible when he spoke, but a small smile was across his face as he relived the memory in his mind. "In short, she left our time…my time I guess. She reappeared two weeks ago on my door step and I took her here because it was the closest Hospital. I had hoped she could be transferred to St. Mungo's but she slipped into a coma" Remus said as he fought back the tears. "Time travel? How in the world did this girl get her hands on a time turner?" The doctor asked as Remus chuckled.

"Hermione Lupin is the brightest witch of our age doctor. She had her ways. So tell me, what are we going to do? Why can't she remember?" Remus had pleading eyes.

"I'll find out why. In the mean time you are going to help her remember." And with that he left the room, giving the man some time to compose himself.


	2. Marauders

Chapter 2.

Marauders.

Flashback-September 1st, 1996

Hermione Granger was waiting on Platform 9 ¾ for her two best friends. She cursed herself for being so bloody short as she tried to peer over the packed platform. She was suddenly tackled from behind by a tall, stout red head and a boy with messy black hair and shining green eyes.

"MIONE!" the red head shouted

"Honestly Ronald, you act as we haven't just seen each other a week ago. Also, that was my ear drum!" she barked back with an eye roll.

"Sorry Hermione. We are just a bit excited." The black haired boy rocked on his heels while he fidgeted with his glasses.

She giggled. "Don't worry about it. How was the Burrow?" she asked as she nudged Harry's side. She was trying to ask about Ginny, Ron's little sister that Harry has a crush on. Before he could answer the train bell signaled that it was time to board the train. They said goodbye to Ron's mother Molly as she fussed over their clothes. The trio found a compartment with their friends Ginny, Neville, and Luna.

As the boys (and Ginny) talked Quidditch, Hermione hid behind a book. She pulled the long gold chain out her robes. The one time turner that wasn't destroyed last year was gifted to her by Professor McGonagall. She played with the chain as she thought about the summer she had. Hermione stayed at 12 Grimmauld Place for most of the summer after her parents moved to Australia. They just didn't connect with their daughter and wanted to start fresh. She didn't blame them and was grateful they were away from Voldemort. Hermione started noticing Professor Lupin's presence more at the Order's headquarters. She would pass it off at the fact that he is a member of the Order but he found every excuse to sit next to Hermione. He would accidently brush his hand against hers. He would sit in the library at 12 Grimmauld Place with Hermione as they sat in silence reading. They had genuine, intelligent conversations that left Hermione flustered. Last night in particular kept playing on repeat in Hermione's mind.

_Something was up with Professor Lupin. He was still doing a lot of his usual antics but he stared at her with more intensity if that was even possible. She didn't feel uncomfortable and found herself starring right back at him. He pushed himself off of the chair he was sitting on and crossed the room of the library. He made his way over to Hermione as she pretended she was reaching for a book on the shelf. Hermione turned to face him and realized just how close he was. She let out a shaky breath as he tucked a curl behind her ear. His fingers lingered on her cheek. _

"_Ready for this term Hermione?" Lupin asked in a silky voice. _

"_y…yes Professor." Hermione replied. She bit her bottom lip when she saw his eyes flash amber. He whispered in her ear to call him Remus. She could not believe this was happening. Professor Lupin leaned down and Hermione closed her eyes waiting for a kiss. A loud bang pulled Professor Lupin away as they heard the portrait downstairs screaming. Nymphadora Tonks entered the room with a smile, her bright blue hair bouncing as she walked towards Lupin._

"_Wotcher Hermione!" Tonks said as Hermione rushed to her room without returning a hello. Hermione spent all night thinking about what could have happened if Tonks hadn't showed up. _

Hermione wanted to kiss Professor Lupin. Badly. This year she promised herself that she would be more spontaneous. She ignored the old Hermione trying to reason with these new thought. She had a time turner, and she wouldn't be gone long. With that thought she found herself walking towards the lavatory, time turner tucked safely in her hand.

She walked by Draco Malfoy who nudged her shoulder. "Mud blood! Watch it!" he yelled out.

"Malfoy, get some new insults." Hermione responded in a bored voice. She heard his snort as she closed the lavatory door and locked it.

Taking a deep breath she pulled the long gold chain out of her pocket and started to turn four careful turns. Unfortunately she wasn't careful enough because the sudden stop of the train sent her time turner spinning several turns. "Bollocks" was the only word she got out as she was watching the scenes rewind before her. And then everything stopped.

Hermione heard banging on the lavatory door as she tried to steady herself on the tap.

"In a minute!" surprised that she was managed to get those words out, Hermione started to panic. "Think….think! How many turns was that? I only meant to do four but then…Oh Merlin! Who knows where I am! Maybe I'm on the train in fifth year? I can't be seen! What the bloody hell am I going to do! I'm probably on this train right now!" Hermione whispering to herself was interrupted by more banging. She took a deep breath as she opened the door.

Standing before her was Lilly Evans. She looked about sixteen and she had piercing green eyes with beautiful long, straight red hair. Hermione stood with her mouth gaped open and looked over Lilly's head to see a sixteen year old Sirius Black staring back at her with a look of interest and confusion.

"Err right. I'll break the ice I suppose. Sirius Black's the name. I have never seen you before and trust me, a pretty face like yours would be impossible to forget." Sirius said as he leaned forward, waggled his eye brows.

Lilly looked peeved as she gave Hermione her best "get out of my way" face. She turned when she heard her name.

"Lilly! I've been sent by James to search for you." Said a young Remus Lupin. He stopped dead in his tracks as he stared at Hermione

Upon seeing these faces, Hermione thought she was going to be sick. Nope. Not sick. Violently ill. She leaned against the doorway with her eyes closed. She vaguely heard them ask if she was okay and Lilly conclude that Hermione was "A nutter". Hermione wobbled and with a thump, she fell to the floor.

She woke up soon after in a compartment with a rag on her head. She hadn't opened her eyes yet because she truly hoped she was dreaming. She could hear familiar nicknames being said back and forth in the compartment.

"Moony, do you think she is dead?" Hermione recognized that as Sirius speaking.

"Bad luck Paddy. The sight of you killed her!" She couldn't quite place that voice. She heard chuckles coming from another teenager.

"Oh sod off Prongs! You too Wormtail." Sirius pouted as he address James and Peter.

"Don't worry, she's not dead. In fact she is awake listening to us. Aren't you err…What's your name?" That voice was the voice of a sixteen year old Remus. She realized the voice was coming above and that she was resting her head on his lap! Her cheeks turned very pink.

"Hermione Granger." She said as she looked into the sandy haired boys eyes. They were a beautiful blue, so different from the milky grey eyes she knew from Professor Lupin. Hermione sat up as she noticed every eye in the compartment was on her.

"Are you alright? You look like you've just seen a ghost." James Potter asked scooting back a bit from the sudden flash of green that fell on her rosy cheeks.

Hermione didn't exactly know how to answer that considering there was some truth to his statement. The nausea and dizzy feeling instantly returned with those thoughts. Hermione fainted, again.


	3. Stuck

Chapter 3.

Stuck

Hermione woke up in the Hospital bed and kissed the sterile pillow at the sight of familiarity. Everything was okay! She had obviously fainted when the train stopped. Harry probably came looking for her and brought her to Madam Pomfrey as soon as they arrived at Hogwarts. The Marauders were just a dream! She was looking forward to telling Harry about this dream and wondered if he would visit after the feast tonight. She saw the double doors to the Hospital Wing open and a bearded wizard enter. He approached her with a twinkle in his eyes. Hermione's eyes traveled up to his face and her eyes widened.

"Ms. Granger I presume?" The younger wizard asked. He was wearing his signature half-moon shaped spectacles.

"Professor D-Dumbledore" Hermione puttered out

"Ah, see this is where I am confused. We have never met. Maybe I should ask, when will we meet?" Dumbledore winked as he picked up the Time Turner from the night stand.

And so she told him what happened. Hermione knew this brilliant wizard was her only chance of returning home. She didn't tell him why she was going back in time for obvious reasons. When she finished she looked at him with hopeful eyes. "So, can you help me get back home?" She asked.

"I'm afraid Ms. Granger, I cannot. Not yet at least. I have seen Time Turners before but this one is obviously very advanced. I also have a feeling that time turners do not turn forward? Unless they have found a way?" Dumbledore spoke in a gentle tone. She shook her head no, feeling distraught.

"Well Ms. Granger, my only solution is to have you attend school until we figure some things out. You are already in Gryffindor robes so no need to sort you again. You look like you are in your 6th year? I will see to getting all your books, clothes and supplies so don't fret. I will speak to Professor McGonagall, your head of house and sleeping arrangements shouldn't be a problem. Now, we have a welcome feast to attend! I will announce that you will be attending Hogwarts for the remainder of your education." He smile down at her and Hermione returned one. She was terrified but also genuinely excited. "As far as a background story, well I'm sure you are clever enough to come up with something." He said with a twinkle in his eyes.

They walked into the Great Hall and all heads turned to Dumbledore and the mysterious new girl. Hermione would have loved to hide her head in a book. Hermione grew stiff as they approached the Gryffindor table.

"Just the boys I was looking for. I know you have met Hermione earlier and I was hoping you four could take her under your wing! Show her the ropes! And perhaps refrain from pranking her." Dumbledore addressed the Murauders with a wink.

"Of course sir! Not to worry! Here, sit by me!" Sirius said with a handsome smirk on his face. Hermione sat down next to him and refrained from looking at James Potter, who was sitting directly across from her. He looked so much like Harry that her heart literally ached. She barely listened to Dumbledore's speech to the school until she heard her name. Every eye was once again on her as he explained her presence. Remus was sitting on her right. She looked up from her hands and caught him starring at her. He blushed beet red when she gave him a small smile and once the food appeared she was feeling a little lighter.

"I'm Peter by the way. Peter Petigrew." Peter reached out to shake her hand and Hermione felt her stomach drop. She returned the shake but couldn't look him in the eye.

"Oh. Mione I'm so sorry we didn't introduce our selves. I'm James Potter and this is Remus Lupin. I hear you've met Sirius. He's a bit of a git. Ow!" James said as Sirius punched his arm for the comment.

The three Marauders laughed at James and turned their attention back on Hermione.

"Don't worry about it, but wait…what did you just call me?" Hermione had a flash of Harry and Ron's faces.

"Mione! We like to have nicknames for each other. No offense but Hermione is a mouthful. Ow!" James earned a kick under the table from Remus. "Can we stop abusing me? Please! Quidditch Trials are coming up!" James said while the table sniggered.

Hermione returned to her Dormitory exhausted emotionally and physically. She knew Lilly was sharing a dorm with her but wasn't ready to face her again. She shut the curtains around her bed. She thought about what Ron and Harry must be thinking. She even allowed the thought of what older Remus was thinking. Would he remember that I had come back to 1976? That I was in school with him? She finally drifted to sleep.

**Hey ya'll! This is my first Fanfiction. I'd love to hear some feed back. Sorry this chapter is so short but I promise the story will start picking up more in the next couple of chapters. This story is definitely going to multi chapters. Anywho! Thanks for reading and I promise to update later today or tomorrow!**

**-Sierraemilie**


	4. Home

Chapter 4.

Start over

Present Day

Remus watched his wife sleep. It was different than the coma sleep. She was snoring and it was music to his ears. He longed to touch her, to hold her and kiss her. But how could he? She tried to play off like she was okay with suddenly having a husband, but he knew she was overwhelmed. Sometimes he saw a flicker in her eyes and he liked to imagine it was a memory resurfacing. She would never tell because she didn't trust this Remus. The Remus she trusted was somewhere in her mind. Remus's ears pricked up when he heard footsteps approaching. He sniffed the air and smelled a familiar scent. The wolf inside marked it as friendly and quieted down.

Harry Potter, the boy who lived, gently knocked on the door. He approached Remus and pulled him into a big hug. Harry looked much older after facing a war. All the worries of his life were permanently etched on his face along with his signature lightning bolt scar. Harry was 20 now. His best friend had been missing for five years but he knew it was nothing compared to the amount of time Remus lived without her. Time was so confusing, and he just didn't understand how she had come back. Why is she only 18? Why can't she remember? He had been so panicked five years ago. She was there on the train and then, she was gone. Remus knew what she had done but when he came to stop her, it was too late. Harry understood why he wanted to stop Hermione. The poor bloke had suffered the most. Harry made Remus explain what was happening to Hermione and came to terms with their history. Time was so confusing.

Hermione was awake now. She saw the man with messy black hair sitting in the chair next to Remus. She felt uncomfortable under the gaze of his piercing green eyes.

"Hello" she said in a small voice

"Hello. I'm Harry. Harry Potter." He said with a smile. It reminded him of when they first met on the train all those years ago.

"You've got some dirt. Right there on your nose." She said with a little giggle.

Harry's smile faded as he rubbed his nose lost in his thoughts. It was as if she had just read his thoughts. Or maybe, somewhere she remembered. Hermione noticed the grim look on his face and dropped her head to look at her hands.

"I'm sorry. I'm sure we've met before. I wish I could remember you…" Tears started to well up in her eyes. She forced them not to spill but something about this man set them off. Both men kneeled down beside her bed. Harry took her hand in his and rubbed circles on them. It wasn't a romantic gesture, she felt like this man could be her brother. What if he was her brother?

"Mione. Shh. It's okay. Don't cry. This isn't your fault. The doctor is doing his best to help you. We are here for you. I know this must be hard." Harry stopped talking when Hermione pulled him into a hug. It was very sudden and Remus felt a pang of jealousy.

Realizing what she was doing, she pushed Harry off of her. Hermione thought she saw a flicker of shadows in her mind. It was gone in an instant, so Hermione closed her eyes, begging the memory to return. "I think….I remem" Hermione's eyes grew wide. "What did you just call me?!" Harry looked perplexed by the sudden outburst. She asked him again with a more forceful tone. "What did you just call me?!"

"I called you Mione" Harry said, hiding the feeling of hope growing inside

In almost a daze state, Hermione laughed and punched his shoulder. "Oh James what did I tell you about not calling me that! You and Sirius know I don't like it!" She turned to Remus who was shell shocked. His knuckles gripped the arms of the chair tightly. "Come on Moony! Tell Prongs I don't like that nickname!"

Remus and Harry just stared back and forth between themselves and Hermione. Hermione clutched her head and screamed out in pain, tears rolling down her face. Nurses and Doctor Carr rushed in. They calmed her down with a mild sedative and wanted to run some scans. Harry and Remus were ushered out into the lobby.

An older, taller, Ron Weasley ran to the men after seeing their shocked faces. "Mione! Is she okay?! Blimey Harry, what happened!" Ron was starting to panic. Remus started to smile and then started to laugh. He didn't know where this strange bust of emotion was coming from. He hadn't slept in days, and barely ate. He was worried that his wife was in pain but couldn't believe what he just witnessed. He was in hysterics and Harry soon joined him. Ron looked at both the men. They were crying from laughing so hard and Ron was growing concerned for their mental health.

In between laughs and trying to breathe Remus was only able to get out one sentence.

"She…hahhaaha…she…..hahaha…..remembered!"

Dr. Carr had three men sitting in his office. The men were smiling and laughing as he entered. All at once every man in the room put up their Occlumency walls and unreadable expressions. It was a habit that lingered after the war.

"Mr. Lupin, Mr. Potter, and Mr. Weasley, Thank you for coming. I know these circumstances are unfortunate but I think I can give you some answers today." The Doctor said with a smile. "Mrs. Lupin, I believe had no intention of returning back to this time. Am I correct in assuming that Mr. Lupin?" The doctor asked as Lupin gave a short nod.

"Any idea what caused her to lose her memory Doc?" Ron Weasley asked anxiously

"Well, I have a theory that the Time Turner was eventually able to travel forward. From what Mr. Lupin has said I don't think Mrs. Lupin sent herself back. I'm also sure a memory charm was placed on it. If that's the case, it wasn't a very good one. As we witnessed yesterday, her memory came back, if only for a moment. So that is why I am hopeful." The doctor finished.

Remus, Ron and Harry all exchanged looks of worry. Whoever tampered time turner needed to be found. "The pain she is having with the memories returning….I mean is there any way we can avoid that?" Lupin asked

"I think the lingering remains of the charm are trying to fight the memories that are resurfacing. That's why it's painful. So my hope is that the more she remembers, the more the memory charm will fade. For a while the pain cannot be avoided but a potion for headaches should do the trick. I want to discharge her this afternoon. Other than her memory, her vitals are completely fine and she is healthy. Mr. Lupin, I'm sure you are ready to take your wife home. I'll make some home visits and check up on the progress we are making. Ease magic back into her life. I'm betting that is going to be rather difficult for her to process. If that's all, I'm going to finish my charts and get her out of here as soon as possible." After Dr. Carr spoke, he shook their hands and sent them out.

The men gave each other hugs before Harry and Ron dissaparated. Ron was to pick up the dinner Molly made for the couple. Harry was to update the Order. Remus walked back to room 307 with a grin. She was finally coming home.

He found Hermione examining her face with a compact. She was pushing her cheeks around, and examining her puffy eyes. She turned a soft pink when she realized Remus was watching from the door.

She sighed and tucked the compact in an old tote bag Remus brought. It had some clothes, a muggle novel and other toiletries. Remus sat on the chair next to the bed. His palms were suddenly very clammy and he couldn't stop fidgeting in his chair.

Seeing his obvious discomfort and nerves, Hermione gave him a small smile before she spoke. "Thank you for bringing me some things and the book."

"Of course. Pride and Prejudice happens to be your favorite book. Well, one of your favorites." He said with a chuckle

One thing Hermione did remember was that she loved books. She laughed. Remus looked pleasantly surprised and he began to relax.

"Do you want to know a silver lining to this?" she asked

"What would that be?" He asked in a soft voice.

"I get to read this book and experience that "first time magic" all over again. I imagine I'll get to experience that magic with a lot of things." She said insightfully.

Remus was genuinely amazed. How terrifying all of this must be and yet, she found the light in storm. That was the Hermione everyone knew and loved. She always found the beauty in the terrible. It was a relief to see her personality hadn't disappeared.

She continued to blush as he was starring with obvious love in his eyes. Hermione hoped one day she could return those feelings. She had once so who's to say she couldn't feel that again? She needed to take baby steps. At least, that's what the doctor kept saying. _"Baby steps Mrs. Lupin. Baby steps."_ In all honestly it was driving her crazy not knowing what happened to her. Not knowing anything. She let out a sigh that brought her attention out of her thoughts.

"The doctor said you can come home. He thinks returning to familiar setting will help with getting your memory back." Lupin said as he carefully studied her reaction.

"Where is home exactly?" She asked curiously.

"Bristol. You wanted to be near water. I have to say, I've grown fond of our cottage. So how about we start packing your bag." Remus said with a soft smile.

Dr. Carr finally discharged Hermione. They hopped on a train to Bristol to avoid using magic. Hermione and Remus read while sneaking glances at each other. The wolf could smell her nerves and Remus prayed this evening would go alright. A short cab ride later they were walking up the path to the cottage.

The cottage was a decent size, painted blue and white shutters. The walkway was lined with colorful stones. The garden was lush with flowers and mysterious plants Hermione couldn't identify. Grape vines were growing up against one side of the cottage. She watched as Remus plucked a couple and popped them in his mouth. He stopped at the front door before turning to face her.

"Ready?" He asked softly. Hermione nodded as he opened the door. Inside was just as lovely as the outside. A wide grin swept across her face as she took in what must have been the living room. Sheer, gold curtains were pulled open to let the natural light in. A scarlet red couch and arm chair were facing a great big fireplace. She sighed at the book shelves that went to the ceiling. She approached the books and caressed the strange titles on the spines. She walked into a kitchen with a small dining room table in the corner. She opened up a cabinet to find simple matching plates and bowls with gold around the rim. She eyed the kettle on the stove when she heard a chuckle behind her.

"I'll make some tea. You finish looking around the house." Remus said as he started to prepare the tea bags.

Hermione went down the hall and stopped when she saw pictures lining the walls. She looked at a wedding picture of her and Remus dancing. She couldn't see his face but she saw herself looking quite pretty, and happy. For a second, she thought she saw the couple swaying. She ignored the rest of the pictures and opened the first door. A simple guest room with more books and warm lighting. There was a guest bathroom with towels that matched the living room. Those colors seemed to be reoccurring throughout the whole house. The master bedroom made her smile brightly. This room had soft gold's and light blue's accented here and there. She sat on the king size bed when a ginger cat came and sat on her lap, purring happily.

"And who might you be sweetie?" She said affectingly as she pet the cat.

"That's Crookshanks. He's been missing you terribly and I have a feeling he won't leave your side now that you are home." Remus said as he handed her a steaming mug of tea. She took a delicate sip and relaxed instantly. "I made it just the way you like it. Honey and no cream." He said looking into his mug sadly.

"The cottage is beautiful Remus." She said with the smile, hoping to cheer him up.

"I'm glad you like it. I haven't done anything to it since you were here last. I've even managed to keep the garden looking nice which, is a miracle for me." He said as he laughed.

Hermione's expression became serious. "Remus, you act like I've been gone longer than three weeks. I know the doctor wants you to do all of this at a slow pace, but please, what happened to me?" She asked with curiosity. She didn't look scared which made Remus think she could handle the truth. Maybe not all of it tonight, but some.

"You were gone Hermione. For a very long time. I promise to tell you the whole story, or as much as I can tomorrow. You've had a long day." He said. "I'll heat up dinner while you take a bath. Relax tonight and I'll answer all your questions tomorrow." Remus placed a kiss on her forehead and walked out of the room.


	5. Photo Albums and Old Friends

**Yes well hello. Here is chapter five. Hope you like it and I should be updating soon. I'll update soon I promise! **

**Sierra Emilie**

**I own nothing. **

Hermione woke to the smell of coffee and chocolate pancakes. She slept in the master bedroom while Remus passed out on the couch. She quickly dressed in a pair of jeans and a floral blouse before walking into the kitchen. Remus was humming lightly to himself as he worked. She sat at the dining table, poured herself a cup, and watched him silently. The morning light from the window gave Hermione a chance to really look at his features. The majority of his hair was sandy blond, but she could see a few grey hairs. He looked younger from the man she first met in the hospital. She thought that might have something to do with her return. His strong jaw line was undeniably appealing, but she enjoyed his smile the most. She saw a bit of chocolate batter on the corner of his mouth and giggled. Finally, he noticed her and grinned.

"I've got something on my face don't I? My weakness is chocolate and I always lick the spoon." He replied as he cleaned off his face. They ate breakfast in comfortable silence. She went to pick out a book but Remus grabbed her hand, leading her to the couch.

He sat next to her in silence for a minute before he spoke. "I know you have questions and I'm going to answer them as best as I can. We still need to take things slowly with your memory."

"Slowly. Right. Well I guess my first question is, how long was I gone? You said a long time. Harry acts like it's been awhile…"She asked nervously.

Remus took a big deep breath before he answered. "About five years." He was sort of telling the truth. He decided it would be best to go by the timeline she came from. He'd work up to the proper truth at a later time.

"Five…..five years?! Remus, where was I for five years? How did I end up in a coma?" She said with panic in her voice.

"Hermione. You um…traveled quite a bit…and got stuck somewhere. We couldn't get ahold of you, but we tried. You had some sort of accident that put you in a coma and made you lose your memory." He said hoping this answer would suffice. He watched as her eyes closed tightly, her face scrunched in concentration. He kneeled down on the floor in front of her. "Hermione, sweetheart. Are you remembering? What do you see?" He asked with concern.

"I see lots of lights…flashing. Mainly red and green. And… some sort of dog? Or maybe it's a wolf?" She said quietly. And then, the memory was gone. Her throbbing head was in her hands. She didn't realize she was crying until Remus brushed the tears off her cheek. She collapsed in his arms, not giving it much thought. Remus was soothing her with reassuring whispers in her ear while she sobbed into his shirt. He pulled her face away from his chest to look her in the eye. His gaze was fierce with love, but softened when she smiled.  
"I know you are about to apologize Hermione. Don't even think about it! No being embarrassed either alright? I'm here for you. Harry and some people are coming over. They have some things they'd like to show you to help your memory." He said softly as he gingerly ran his hand over her cheek.

"I'll go get dressed. Thank you Remus." She said before she walked down the hall.

Remus sighed, pulled his wand out of his pocket, and with a flourish the kitchen was cleaning itself. After stowing it away, he felt a tug on the cottage wards. He answered the door before Harry could knock. A few other figures followed inside.

"Please everybody come sit. I ask you not to jump on Hermione! Sirius this goes for you. Hey. Don't give me that look! I'm sure Harry has filled all of you in about the…..ohnay agicmay?" Remus asked in a whisper. Seeing them nod he let his shoulders fall. This was all a bit stressful and the full moon was coming up.

"Mum. Would you mind putting on the kettle?" Harry asked Lilly. She nodded with a smile before turning towards the kitchen. Hermione's travels to the past had disrupted the time line. After much hesitation and frankly, anger, he accepted this. His parents were kept secret from him by Dumbledore, until the "time was right". Bloody ridiculous if you asked anyone, but it paid off when old Voldy saw their faces at the final battle. As far as their relationship, well that was a work in progress.

Hermione walked in to see five people in the living room, smiling up at her. Her mind was trying to put names to the faces and she sought out Remus's familiar face. He ushered her over with a smile and she hesitantly sat down next to him.

"Hello, my name's Lilly. This is my husband James and you know our son Harry. This is Sirius. He is a bit of a flirt so best just to ignore him dear." Lilly said. Hermione noticed Harry had her eyes. Her long red hair and face practically glowed from the beauty. Hermione accepted the friendly hug from Lilly. She looked at James and enjoyed how the black messy hair looked just like Harry's. He looked a bit nervous, so she just shook his hand. Sirius stood up with a smirk on his face. He gave her a wink before he practically tackled her onto the ground.

"Oi! Padfoot! What did we talk about?" Remus yelled as he yanked Sirius off of his wife. Hermione bit on the inside of her cheek to hide her smile.

The front door opened and a tall, broad shouldered ginger came stumbling in. He grinned at her before greeting everyone in the room. He had photo albums tucked under one arm.

"Hello Mione. So good to see you again. Ron Weasley." He introduced himself with a friendly handshake. She snapped herself out of starring at his face.

"So nice to meet all of you. But I imagine we've met before. Are those photos? Am I in them?" She asked pointing to the albums tucked under Ron's arm.

"Yes and yes. I brought them over to help out your memory." Ron said proudly. Even though it was Harry who put the albums together and thought of the idea in the first place. Ron charmed the pictures so they wouldn't move, but still.

He handed her the first album and she slowly opened it. It had pictures of her as a child and pictures of her parents. They nicked those pictures from a box in the cottage. She ran her fingers over the pictures fondly. Tears were stinging her eyes. Hermione had a feeling her parents had died because they never came to the hospital. She closed it quickly avoiding everyone's eyes. Hermione would return to that album when everyone had gone home. The next album was of her at some sort of school. Ron, Hermione and Harry were mainly in the pictures. She found it hard to believe that she attended school in a castle but the evidence was in front of her. Based on the uniforms and um…location, she realized it must have been some boarding school. She didn't realize she was humming "The Hogwarts song". She looked up to see everyone's surprised expressions.

"Do you guys recognize that song or something?" She asked with an arched brow.

Harry coughed looking at Remus for permission. He must have nodded because he finally answered. "Yes. That was our school's song. We went to Hogwarts."

"What a funny name for a school." She said with a giggle. "Where did you all go?" She asked the others.

"Oh we all went to Hogwarts. Best school there is." Answered James. He seemed to be getting past his nerves.

The rest of the morning passed with some awkward pauses but Sirius, Harry and Ron jumped into stories about Hogwarts. Well, as much as they could without revealing the whole magic thing. Remus and James were howling with laughter, wiping away tears. Hermione couldn't help but laugh along, which made everyone happy. As she was saying goodbye to everyone, she had another memory return.

"Prongs, Where's Wormtail?" She asked James. He looked shocked and had to suppress the anger rising in him. Sirius, seeing his best mate's reaction stepped up to hug her.

"He couldn't make it whiskers, but we were so glad we got to see you." He said with an infectious grin. Harry explained to everyone what happened in the past timeline and of Peter's betrayal. She hugged everyone, feeling much more comfortable with them for some reason. As the door shut, Remus let out the breath he was apparently holding in. Remus was feeling drained and by looks of Hermione, she was feeling that way too. They sat on the couch together reading before they both passed out.

**A/N: I'm going to answer this before I get angry PM's and reviews. I'll explain how the Lilly, Sirius, James thing works later. Don't get your knickers in a twist. I know I was super vague about that bombshell I dropped on ya'll but hear me out? Okay, now I'm done. **


	6. Running Out of Excuses

**A/N: Well hey! This chapter is a flashback of Hermione in the 70's. Lot's of Remus POV and some cuteness between the two. A big thanks to all the new followers. Hope you like it!**

**Sierra Emilie**

**I own nothing. **

Flashback

"_Moony, it's time to face the facts. You fancy the new girl." Sirius said one night in the boy's dormitory. _

"_Nothing wrong with it Moony! She's pretty, smart, funny, and really nice. She's practically your soul mate! She's the Lilly to your James!" James said as he puffed out his chest. _

"_James, YOU think Lilly is your soul mate. She has only just starting having conversations with you. And sure she is all of those things but there is NO WAY I could date her. Furry little problem remember? The full moon is tomorrow and if I give into these…feelings. I can't be sure that the wolf won't hurt her. He's already taken notice of her." Remus explained in a frustrated tone. He knew his friends were trying to help but this was too risky. _

"_I'm sorry Moony. We'll drop it okay? We'll be there tomorrow so let's just focus on that." James said quietly. James, Peter and Sirius passed out shortly after but Remus laid awake. He knew he had to forget about this girl but he couldn't see how that was going to be possible. She stayed in the library as much as he did, if not more. She was in every single one of his classes and she always participated. She sat under his favorite tree by the black lake. Not to mention the friendship she has started to develop with the other marauders. This was going to be impossible. She was mysterious, and lovely. Remus would surely go mad before the year was up. _

_Remus somehow managed to scrape by on three hours of sleep the day of the full moon. He was edgy, and the wolf was practically running laps in his mind. Stupid Hermione kept looking his way with a look of concern. Any other day he might have felt happy that she was showing interest but not today. Finally, after dinner, Dumbledore walked him down to the Shrieking Shack. He curled up in a ball waiting for the moon to rise. Waiting for the pain. He noticed a bottle sitting on a broken dresser. He got up to inspect the bottle and saw that it was obviously a potion. Perhaps Slughorn did this? There was a little tag. When he flipped it over he almost dropped the bottle from shock. _

"_I hope this helps._

_Your friend,_

_HG"_

_He could only think of one person with those initials. He traced her dainty handwriting, corked open the bottle and drank the potion in one gulp. His mind was racing. How in the world did she know he was a werewolf? How did she know he transformed here, in this shack? He suddenly felt very uncomfortable. That potion could have been bloody poison and he drank it anyway! The moon was rising and Remus waited for the wolf. He transformed and… The wolf couldn't take over his mind. He looked down at his fur in disbelief. Remus tested this new feeling out. The wolf by now would have destroyed everything in reach, but that didn't happen. He climbed out of the Whomping Willow to find his friends in their animagus forms, waiting to play with the wolf Moony. Remus didn't know how to explain what was happening so he just decided to enjoy it. He took off for the forest and the Maruarders followed. Padfoot and Moony had their usual romp and play fights, but Remus had control. He could kiss that girl right about now._

_In the morning, Remus woke up on the floor of the forbidden forest pleasantly surprised. He didn't wake up with regret, or feeling disgust by his monster. James, Sirius and Peter back in normal form watched him warily. They knew something was different last night. _

"_All right there Moony?" Sirius asked timidly_

"_I…feel great. Brilliant even. I…don't really know…"He tried to finish his thoughts but they were interrupted. Hermione Granger jumped out of a tree. All boys but Remus had their wands drawn at her.  
"It's called Wolfsbane. Allows you to keep your mind during your transformation. I'm glad it worked Remus." She said._

"_You know? But how? Wolfsbane? We've never heard of that." James began asking questions, putting himself protectively in front of Remus. _

"_I'll explain inside. Let's get Remus to the hospital wing and also, I'm rather hungry after being out here all night." She said as she turned away from the boys, walking towards the castle. _

_They looked like they had been bewitched, but managed to help Remus up. Madam Pomfrey fussed over him and soon he was asleep. Hermione surprised the remaining boys with a picnic basket.  
"I figure this a conversation we need to have away from everyone else. Plus, today is beautiful." She said with shrug. It was Saturday but most people were still sleeping in. _

_They sat down on the picnic blanket under Remus's favorite tree. _

"_Alright. Tell us how you know?" Sirius asked as he grabbed a piece of toast_

"_I figured it out." She said with what she hoped was a convincing grin. They weren't buying it. "Look, I'm an observant person. I spend lots of time with him in the library to pick up on things. I researched and last night I put my theory to the test. I was right." She said a little more confidently. _

"_Okay, but what is Wolfsbane?" James asked impatiently. She slowly chewed, swallowed her eggs, taking a sip of pumpkin juice to wash it all down. She saw James tapping his foot, she tried to hide her smile over his annoyance. This was too fun. _

"_Well, it's a potion in the works really. But it helps with the transformation. Remus still turns into a werewolf, but his mind stays." She explained._

"_Wait, hold up. You TESTED a potion that's in the works on our best mate? He could have been killed! Or seriously injured!" Sirius yelled._

"_Sirius, not to brag, but I am intelligent. I was confident it would work. I also stayed by with an antidote in case something happened. I brewed it myself." She said with a reassuring smile. _

_Sirius and James studied her face for a while. Peter finally spoke up. "Are you going to tell anyone? We've kept this a secret for Remus, so you can't blame us for being protective." He asked seriously_

"_I would never tell. I hate how society treats werewolves. Remus can't help what has happened to him, but I hope one day werewolves will have less restrictions." She said sincerely._

_They ate the rest of breakfast in silence as the boys kept sneaking glances at her. This girl didn't care that their friend was a werewolf and had even helped him. They went up to the castle so the boys could sleep, but Hermione immediately went for the Hospital Wing. She assumed he would have questions that would need answering. _

_Remus was in the hospital bed reading his Transfiguration textbook. He tensed slightly when she entered the double doors. She sat down in the chair next to the bed and smiled at him. _

"_Morning Remus" She said_

"_M-morning." His nerves were starting to kick in. Her curls glowed from the morning light. _

"_Are you feeling well?" She asked as she swept some hair out of his eyes. _

_Remus was completely stunned by her touch but savored every second. "I'm tired and a little sore but honestly I feel great. Madam Pomfrey is going to release me early today. Hermione?" He said her name in a quiet voice. His heart started pounding loudly and he was sure she could hear it. _

"_Yes?" She asked, studying his expression._

"_Thank you. I can't tell you how much what you did means to me. I assume the guys have talked to you and that you understand why I want this kept quiet. If not, they wouldn't have let you in here. Sorry, slightly rambling. I do this sometimes but I usually speak more eloquently than this. Sorry…" Remus said a little too quickly._

_Hermione gave an amused expression. "I understand. I would never share your secret." She said as her face turned serious. She pulled out a book from her bag and opened to a page. "I know this is silly, but my mother used to read to me when I wasn't feeling well. So, listen up Pal. No interrupting, got it?"_

_Remus nodded before relaxing onto the bed. She read a muggle book called Alice in Wonderland. Remus closed his eyes, enjoying the sound of her voice, and imagined the scenes she was describing. Slowly, he fell asleep. _

_He woke up an hour later to see Hermione curled up asleep in the same chair. He blushed when she stirred, realizing that he was watching her sleep like a creep. He was starting to run out of excuses as to why he couldn't like this girl. He didn't deserve her kindness._

_Remus was released from the hospital wing by lunch time. Hermione stayed with him the rest of the day. Everyone was in better spirits. _

Present day

Remus woke up with his face in brown curls, and Hermione using his chest as a pillow. They were still on couch. He smiled before falling back asleep comfortably.


	7. Identity

**A/N: Next Chapter! The story picks up in the chapter and I hope you all like it. Leave a review if you'd like! Who likes the new Doctor?! I'm struggling with Moffat's writing but that's nothing new. Peter is doing brilliantly I think. Anyway! I will try and update soon!**

**-Sierra Emilie**

**Disclosure: I own nothing!**

Hermione had slept the afternoon and night away. She didn't realize how exhausted she was. Remus must have carried her into the master bedroom at some point. She put on a simple V-neck t-shirt and blue jean shorts. The day was a brilliant blue sky with plenty of sunshine and thought she might like to do some reading outside. Hermione was surprised to find Remus out on the patio doing the same thing.

"Morning Hermione. I thought we could do some reading and maybe invite some of your other friends over for dinner?" Remus asked

Hermione gave him a nod in agreement. She soaked up the vitamin D and promised herself to get out in the sun more often. She made her way over to the chair under the umbrella. Remus had an amused look on his face.

"What's that look for?" she asked with an arched brow.

"Just remembering all the times you stood in the sun looking like that." He said with a smile.

Hermione didn't entirely know how to respond to that. Everything regarding her memory loss sparked an uncomfortable feeling. She prayed it would go away with time. That she would finally feel like Hermione. She picked up her book and ignored his stares. The afternoon passed too quickly for her liking. The uncomfortable feeling creeping back in, making her nauseous. A Ginny Potter, Lilly Potter and Lavender Weasley were coming over for dinner. These were apparently her best girlfriends. She slipped on her purple cotton summer dress. Remus had cooked all of the food which he seemed to do a lot. Hermione didn't mind, but asked him to teach her how to cook again. She walked in the hallway and almost fell over from spinning to face the pictures. She could have sworn they were moving. Every single one of them. Not only moving, but she saw light being flashed from the camera. She kept shaking her head to make it stop but she was still slow dancing. One picture had a family of waving red heads. Hermione ran into the kitchen. Was Remus playing some sort of practical joke on her?

'This is hardly appropriate time for jokes', Hermione thought to herself.

"Remus, why are the pictures in the hallway moving?" She asked with some force in her voice.

Remus gulped audibly, struggling to find the words, when he was saved by the doorbell. He rushed to the door and swung it open before he could respond.

The women walked inside, giving hugs to Hermione and reintroducing themselves. Remus took his dinner outside while the girls talked. Ginny was a spitfire, Lavender was the girly girl, and sweet Lilly was a bookworm, just like Hermione. They talked about their marriages. How they all met their husband's at Hogwarts, and shared some memories of their time at school. It was the first time since Hermione woke up that she felt at home.

"That's nothing Gin! One time my best friend and I walked in on a couple in a compromising position three different times! You'd think they would have found more discrete locations!" Lilly said as her story brought giggles around the table. "Herm…Hariette and I reported them often…" Lilly finished quickly, hoping Hermione didn't notice her slip up. Lilly had a sad look in her eyes as she pushed her food around the plate, not really eating. The two other women eyed Hermione warily. Hermione noted these observations. More questions needed to be asked and the silence around the table was becoming deafening.

"I should be getting back to James Jr. now. I had a lovely time Hermione. We are doing this again! Soon!" Ginny said as she got out of her chair and engulfed Hermione in a hug.

"Yes…of course." Hermione whispered in Ginny's straight, red hair. She heard something clatter to the floor and saw a long stick by her feet. Ginny tried to reach for it first, but Hermione was faster. As soon as she touched the wood she felt a strange sort of energy shoot thru her body. Her memory kicked in quickly, showing images of Hermione with a stick, green and red flashed of light emitting out of it. She screamed in agony as the stick was yanked out of her hand. She could hear Remus running into the room telling the women to leave. "Why did you let her touch your wand Ginny! Get out! Now!" She heard him say in almost a growl. She heard three *pops and fell to the floor, grasping her head. Remus held her until the pain subsided. He came back in the room with a glass of water and some pain medicine.

Hermione took the medicine and drank the water with trembling hands.

"Wand." She said looking at him with curiosity and what was that….Anger?

"Hermione…" He said in a warning tone.

"You said, "Why did you let her touch your wand". I was NOT hearing things Remus." She said as her voice grew louder. Yes, she was angry. They were hiding something from her.

"Hermione…Why don't you sit down for a minut…"He didn't finish his sentence as she advanced on him. For someone so petite, she was an expert at intimidation.

"I'm fine right here Remus. Is this some joke?! Are you some sort of magician?! In fact, this is all very strange. You have never mention your occupation to me. Is that what you do for a living? Children's birthday parties?" She waited for his answer but she could tell her guess was incorrect. "No…that's not it. Is Magic a hobby for you? Why did I feel a shock when I touched her Wand? Why do the pictures move? Why are my friends and FAMILY hiding something from me?" Hermione asked as she grew hysterical with each question. Remus was frozen on the spot until he saw the hurt in her eyes. "Please Remus. The Truth." She said holding his gaze. He tried to grab her arm to pull her closer but Hermione pushed him away.

'No time like the present'. Remus thought.

"Come with me. I have some important things to show you." He said, turning to walk down the hall. He pulled down a box from their bedroom closet, marked with her name. The sharpie looked faded and the box sagged, but the duct tape on top looked fresh. Remus ripped the tape off and pulled out a long skinny box. She knelt down beside him and noticed her hands were shaking.

"Hermione, open the box." Remus said gently as she examined the box.

The label was scrawled across the top in pretty gold. "Ollivanders Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C." She whispered. She gingerly pulled the lid off. Inside was a stick similar to Ginny's. This one however, had pretty vines wrapping around the handle. She grabbed it and red sparks emitted out like tiny fireworks.

"Beautiful isn't it? The core is Dragon heartstring. 10 ¾ inches. Hermione, you are a witch." Remus looked at her with pride in his eyes.

"A…a witch?" Hermione thought this was a little too elaborate to be a practical joke. The wand was practically vibrating in her right hand.

"Hogwarts is a school of magic. I'm a wizard. Everyone you've met is a witch or wizard." Remus explained.

Hermione wanted to deny it but…something just felt right?

"_Crash!"_ The sound of a vase breaking brought her out of her thoughts. She looked at Remus in shock as she realized he broke the vase.

"Fix it." Remus said crossing his arms over his chest.

"What?" Hermione was sure he had gone mental.

"I said. Fix it. Remember Hermione. You _know_ the spell. Think." Remus was determined to see if this would work.

Hermione closed her eyes, her face scrunched up in concentration, willing memories to come forward. One word flashed across her mind. She aimed her wand at the vase and noticed she had stopped shaking.

"_Reparo." _She said with a flick of her wand. The vase immediately mended itself. It reminded her of watching a VHS movie rewind. She was breathing heavily and looked at Remus with wide eyes. He just smirked.

"Knew you could do it love." He said with a warm smile.

"I'm a witch." She said, noticing the confidence in her voice. She said the phrase over and over in a whisper before she met Remus's eyes with a smile.

Remus plucked more items out of the box. A dusty book read "Hogwarts: A History" was handed to her. She noticed the pages had been well read. There were fraying edges and the occasional blood stain from paper cuts.

"I liked this book?" She asked.

"You loved it. I think if you read it again, you'll find you still do." Remus said with a smile.

She hugged the book close before turning to the box. She pulled out pictures from Hogwarts, but the moved like the pictures in the hall. She leafed through the stack of pictures and stopped when she noticed Remus in the frame. James, Lilly, Remus, Sirius, Hermione and some pudgy boy were smiling, arms linked, laughing. She turned the photograph over and gasped as she read the date.

"_November 1977. 7__th__ year"_

Surely this was a mistake. "Remus…how." It wasn't a question. This was a demand for more explanation.

"This is where it gets complicated Hermione. I…I'd like us to wait awhile before we cross this path. It's…I need someone else with me to explain this to you." Remus said timidly. He knew she was stubborn and that this was probably going to drive her crazy. Hermione surprised him by nodding and dropping the subject, despite her mind going a million miles per hour. Remus pulled textbooks out next.

"I think it would be wise to ease back into your magic. Starting at the basics again and working your way up to the powerful level you once were…." He didn't get to finish his thoughts when she interrupted.

"I was powerful?" She asked in disbelief.

Remus chuckled. "Brightest witch of your age. It's getting late Hermione, but tomorrow we will talk more. And I can train you how to use your wand more." He said. Remus went to kiss her forehead but Hermione captured his lips. Remus pulled away slowly and bid her good night. Hermione looked at the items spread across the floor and grinned. She was starting to feel like herself.

Remus crossed over to the guest bedroom, closed the door, and touched his lips. After all these years his Hermione was coming back.

* * *

Severus Snape sat in his favorite arm chair with a book propped up. The sound of his fireplace loudly crackling caused him to draw his wand quickly. 'Heavy footsteps and…a cane?" Snape thought to himself.

"Malfoy. As much as I appreciate a visit from an old friend, I like some warning before visitors stop by." Snape drawled.

20 year old Draco Malfoy stepped into Snape's study with that same swagger his father has. Well…had. Lucius was rotting away in Azkaban.

"Professor. I apologize for my intrusion but father asked me to pass on an urgent message." Draco said with a smirk.

"Oh? I'm surprised your father was able to speak coherently. Last time I saw him, Azkaban wasn't doing wonders for his mind." Snape said in his signature cool voice.

"I'm going to ignore that comment. A certain Mrs. Lupin has returned. She's remembering." Draco continued to smirk.

Snape lost his expressionless face for a moment, panic obvious in his eyes. He hoped the young wizard didn't see, but he was not so lucky.

"I think it's time you left Mr. Malfoy." Snape said trying to sound neutral.

"Father will be talking to you soon." Draco said as he walked out with a swish of his cloak.

When Snape was certain Draco was out of ear shot he let out two words. "Well, fuck."


	8. Luck and Truth

**A/N: Hey! Here is some flashback. This might be a tad dramatic but hopefully ya'll like it! Thanks to all the people who have been following, favoring, and reviewing. **

_October 5__th__, 1976_

_The Marauders were difficult to avoid and Hermione found herself not really trying. She knew she was messing with the timeline by hanging out with them. She justified it by promising to tell Harry stories of his parents. And maybe she secretly wanted these memories for herself. They had completely grown on her in a matter of days. She even tolerated the pranks. She made a mental note to take pictures to enjoy when she went home. Yes, once she got back…IF she got back. Hermione's face was scrunched up trying to shake those thoughts away. She didn't noticed the greasy, black haired, 16 year old boy plop down in the seat next to her. Hermione also missed the announcement by Professor Slughorn that Slytherin's would be sitting with Gryffindor's. _

_Severus cleared his throat in hopes to get her attention. He found himself curious about the new girl, just like everyone else. That was, until she started hanging out with the bloody Marauders. She finally looked at him and all but fell out of her seat._

"_Profess…..I mean. Severus right? I'm Hermione." She offered her hand and he scowled at the gesture. _

"_Right class! Today, we are brewing the Draught of Living Death." Professor Slughorn announced. He pulled a small vial out of his pocket and Snape sat up immediately. _

"_But this is different. Can anyone name what this little potion is?" The professor asked. _

_Hermione and Snape raised their hands at the exact same time. _

"_Miss Granger?" Slughorn asked, waiting for the correct answer. He quite liked the girl and wanted to invite her to be in the Slugclub. _

"_That's Felix Felicis sir. Also known as Liquid Luck." She answered in her confident voice. Snape continued to glare. _

"_Ten points to Gryffidor. Mr. Snape, perhaps you could elaborate on what this potion does?" Professor Slughorn asked his favorite student. He was confident he was in the presence of a future Potion Master. _

"_Felix Felicis makes the drinker lucky for a period of time during which, everything they attempt will be successful." Snape replied. _

"_Right as usual Mr. Snape. Ten points for Slytherin. Now, whomever makes the best Living Draught potion with be rewarded with this lucky vial." Professor informed his students. This was a favorite lesson of his. A little competition never hurt and at least there wasn't any house rivalries involved. Every man for himself. _

_Hermione was always going to do her best, but a little luck could help her get home. She glanced over at Snape and watched in horror as he completely ignored the instructions. His Advanced Potions textbook was covered in his own writing. Crossing things out, adding things in, tips here and there. She was furious. Hermione was a rule follower and therefore stuck to the original text book. She feverishly stirred her potion counter clockwise 27 times. This potion was making her sweat and she prayed the perspiration wouldn't drop into the cauldron. _

_Snape was finished with his potion in no time. He sat with his legs up on the table, smirking at his desk partner. Her hair had grown three times its size (which was saying something considering her hair was always wild). She had a look of determination on her face but he could see it starting to waiver. She finished her potion just as Slughorn approached their table. _

"_Yes…Well Miss Granger, you've done a fair job! Definitely in the running!" Slughorn said as he evaluated her potion. Hermione grinned widely. "Let's see here Mr. Snape. Perfection. As always!" Snape gave Slughorn a nod before hiding his satisfaction. "We have a winner! Mr. Snape, please collect your vial! Class dismissed." Hermione shoved her text book in her bag, stalking after Snape as they left the dungeons. She stopped herself in front of him, taking a breath to calm herself. _

"_Um…congratulations." She said with a weak smile. Hermione was a sore loser, and she also hated the fact that he defaced a book. _

"_That was very convincing, so happy to have a know-it-alls approval" Snape responded sarcastically. His sarcasm gave Hermione a strange sort of familiarity and comfort. He was always going to be a prat. _

_She laughed and Snape shifted uncomfortably. "Yes well. I noticed you vandalized your textbook." She said with a smirk plastered on her face. _

"_I've found my way to be better. Just changed a few things here and there." He said, avoiding her stare. Snape felt like she was looking into his soul. _

"_I'll tell you what. If you tutor me in Potions, I promise to help you in another subject. Perhaps, Arithmancy?" She continued to smirk. Hermione remembered hearing once that Snape was dreadful in everything but Potions and DADA. _

_Snape studied the girl, trying to decide if she was trustful. How did she know he was utter shit at Arithmancy? Was she watching him? His curiosity took over any hesitance and he agreed. They planned on meeting in the library later. She sort of forcefully shook his hand and Snape was completely shocked. The enjoyment of his reaction was all over her face. Snape spent the rest of the day trying to avoid staring at the Granger girl. _

* * *

_Dinner_

_Hermione sat in the Great Hall squashed between James and Sirius at. All the boys had become rather protective of her. It reminded her of Ron and Harry. She was pushing around her food trying to suppress the creeping sadness. _

"_Mione. What's wrong?" Sirius asked._

"_Huh? Oh. Um. Sorry just feeling a little home sick at the moment." She responded quickly. _

"_You feeling upset will simply NOT do. I say we have some fun later. Pleaaaaase Mione?" James said with that stupid cocky grin. She gave him a warm smile before answering. _

"_That sounds wonderful boys but I have to meet someone in the library later." She avoided everyone's eyes. It's not like this was a date. She was just tutoring the guy. _

_When she finally looked up she met Remus's eyes directly across from her. He had a look of disappointment and suspicion that made her suddenly feel guilty. _

"_With whom?" He asked. _

"_Um…I am just tutoring him and in return he is helping me in Potions." Hermione said quickly. _

_Sirius barked a laugh. "You? Need help? Hermione you are brilliant! And you didn't answer Moony's question." _

"_You promise me you guys won't freak?" She asked timidly._

"_Promise." The four boys chorused. _

"_It's um…Severus. He is actually ridiculously good at Potions." She answered quietly, praying they wouldn't start yelling. _

"_What!? Are you insane?!"_

"_Mione, no way!"_

"_Snivellus?! I forbid it!"_

_The boys continued to yell their protest. Well so much for not freaking out!_

_She stood up angrily, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "Listen up! I do NOT tolerate childhood prejudices. You boys should know better than anyone else how I feel on this subject. I am constantly judged because of something I have NO bloody control over. Have you even bothered to have a normal conversation with the guy?" She was fuming and her hair was practically shooting up sparks. The Great Hall became suddenly quiet as Hermione glared at the Mauraders. The teachers were pretending the outburst wasn't happening. No one, not even Lilly had talked to them like this. _

"_Mione, we've tri…" Sirius started to answer her question but she interrupted._

"_Don't you even think about answering that question Sirius Orion Black because I know you are lying. You of all people should understand this. You left your family this past summer to live with the Potter's did you not? You want so badly to be different from the kind of person that comes with being a Black! You HATE the expectations and the judgement. And Remus. Well I'm not going to say what I want to say yet but you and I WILL be having a talk later. James, you are great a lot of the time but could you stop being a cocky asshole and bully for ONCE? Peter, formulate your own damn opinions okay? You're a big boy now. Look, I love you boys but right now I can't stand the sight of you." Hermione finished her rant by storming out of the Hall._

_The boys had just been mentally beaten. They sat there wide eyed while the rest of the Hall resumed their conversations and dinner. Finally, Sirius spoke. _

"_I haven't told anyone about leaving my family. Except you guys of course. I imagined the whole school would know about me being a blood traitor but my brother must have been sworn to secrecy. Who told her?" He spoke in a small voice but the last question was full of anger. He had been betrayed. How else would she have known?_

"_Sirius, No one told her." Remus answered. He was feeling upset for how they treated Hermione but she had outed something very personal about his best mate. _

"_How the hell did she know?" James asked knowing no one had an answer. Not yet at least. _

"_Mauraders, I feel an investigation is in order. And maybe some apologies…" Sirius said. _

* * *

_Snape had left the Hall shortly after the blow out. He headed towards the library feeling confused. He was pretty positive they were fighting about Hermione spending time with Snape. Snape wasn't sure if she would tell her friends, so he watched from the Slytherin table. He hoped she wouldn't. The Mauraders had left him alone for two glorious weeks. He was surprised to see her chew them out. 'About bloody time' he thought. Snape entered the library and spotted Hermione in the corner sobbing. When she noticed him she laughed pathetically and wiped her tears._

"_I'm sorry Severus. Something just sort of set me off…"_

"_Your muggleborn aren't you? You said you face judgement?" He asked awkwardly._

"_Yes. I am. Is that going to be a problem Snape?" She said angrily. She put his death glares to shame with the look she was giving him now. _

"_N-no. Why did you stick up for me?" He asked as he fidgeted with his robes. Snape hated fidgeting, but he couldn't help it when the Granger girl was near. _

_She laughed and smiled. She was a roller coaster of emotions and Snape was getting nauseous. _

"_It's like I told the boys. I don't tolerate that behavior. They don't even know you." She said. _

"_You don't know me either." He corrected. _

_Her eyes grew wide, like she was realizing her mistake. She fixed her features into a more neutral look a second later. "That's true. I prefer to make my assessment of someone AFTER I get to know them a little. You know, like normal people do?" She said sarcastically. _

_Severus Snape let out a small chuckle. The second it escaped his voice, he covered his mouth like he had just said a curse word. Hermione looked surprised and smirked. _

"_Don't tell a soul." He said seriously. That only made her bust out in laughter. She laughed for quite some time while Snape kept a steady glare directed towards her. _

"_Aye Aye Captain. I swear not to tell a soul that sometimes you are capable of finding things funny!" She said as she saluted him. _

"_Let's just get started okay?" He said with a sigh. They worked until Madam Pince kicked them out. _

_Hermione slowly made her way back to Gryffindor tower. She was so not looking forward to seeing the boys._

* * *

"_Passworfd?" Asked the Fat Lady. She was leaning on the frame, twirling a glass of wine. _

"_Bibitty Boppity." Someone had told the Fat Lady the story of Cinderella and the password was often around this theme. The Muggleborn students got a kick out of it. The door swung open and two sets of hands immediately dragged her to the couch in front of the fire. Her eyes were closed, but when she opened them, she found a seething Sirius Black far too close for comfort. She was expecting an apology but apparenty the boys weren't done being angry with her. _

"_Who told you?" He asked, his nostrils flaring. _

"_Told me what?" She asked. Hermione had no clue what this boy was going on about. _

"_My family. Who told you about me leaving and moving in with the Potter's?" She tried to hide the look of horror on her face but all the boys had seen it before she could mask it. She audibly gulped and Sirius's eyes had turned from anger to hurt, and betrayal. What the hell was she going to tell them?_

"_I…I overheard you guys talking about it one night." She said lamely. Hermione was pretty awful at lying. She knew they could see straight thru her. _

"_Liar!" Remus said. The look in his eyes brought tears to her own. James and Remus flanked Sirius. Their trust in her was slipping away by the second. _

"_I'm sorry. This is…complicated to say the least. I will tell you how I know but…but I really need you four to swear you won't tell a soul. I've already messed with things and just know that some questions I cannot answer. It could be extremely dangerous." The words flowed out in a rush. She could not believe she was about to tell them this but what choice did she have? The common room was completely empty. The boys were in shock but managed to sit down in the chairs, facing her. Hermione wandlessly, and wordlessly put up a silencing charm. Remus shook the impressed look off his face like a dog shaking water off their fur. _

"_No interrupting if you can try. Where to start…Well, Remember how you guys found me on the train? isortoftimetraveledimnotfromhere."_

"_Sorry Mione. Didn't quite catch that." James said._

_Hermione took a steady breath before she spoke. "I'm not from here. I'm from the future." She winced as the collective gasp filled the room. "Hard to believe I know. I was stupidly messing with a time turner on the train in my time when, well the train stopped and I turned it too many times. I found myself face to face with Lilly bloody Potter and Sirius Black…." She covered her mouth, much like Snape did earlier and groaned. _

"_Potter?! Lilly Potter?!" James was practically bouncing in his seat. _

"_Honestly Prongs! She's just told us she's from the sodding future and that's all you retained?" Remus laughed, seeming to relax a little. He was sure she was going to say she was a Death Eater._

"_Well excuuuuuuse me! I can't ignore the life changing bomb shell that Mione has dropped on me!" James said as he threw a pillow toward Remus. _

"_Enough about your future wife Prongs. You…know us in the future?" Sirius said looking at this girl skeptically. _

"_Yes, I actually lived at 12 Grimmauld Place this past summer for…reasons I totally can't say." She hoped this would be a sufficient answer. _

"_The whole family must have croaked for me to own the Noble House of Black." Sirius mocked. _

_Hermione tried to look anywhere else but his face. He let out a small "Oh." _

"_Hermione, How far into the future did you travel?" Peter asked._

"_Err It was 1996 when I left…" She said, still not meeting anyone's eyes. _

"_Well this is slightly awkward…I mean, Remus, she will be jailbait!" Sirius said, earning a pillow to the face. Hermione's face flushed deep red. _

_She cleared her throat. "Yes, well. Uhm, I mean. I do know Remus…" She was going to say as a friend but the teenage boys took it completely the wrong way. She tried to back track, but the damage was done. Remus and Hermione were lobsters at this point from the embarrassment. The boys knew Remus fancied Hermione. _

"_Ugh…boys. Anyway, it doesn't really matter because Professor Dumbledore has pretty much said that I'm stuck here. Time Turners don't travel forward. I'll never see Harry or Ron again." She felt more tears coming to her eyes. Hadn't see cried enough in one day?! This was getting ridiculous. _

"_Who's Harry and Ron?" Remus asked, jealously obvious in his voice. _

"_Oh yeah, Uhm Ron, is Ron Weasley. He is one of my best friends. Harry Potter is my other best friend. They are like the brothers I never had." She answered. _

"_I…I have a son? With Lilly Evans? Do you….I mean. Can I see what he looks like?" James was stammering pathetically. _

"_Hmm….okay." She pulled out the picture from her robes and handed it to James. The other boys crowded around the picture to get a good look. _

"_He looks just like me except…"_

"_His mother's eyes. Yup. That's all Lilly." She said fondly. James went to hand the picture back, but Hermione made him a copy. _

"_If James's son is your best friend then I'm sure you see us all the time!" Sirius said as he ruffled her hair. _

_Hermione smiled weakly hoping to change the subject. "Yes, I know all about the map and have used the cloak more times than I can count."_

_James was beaming with pride. "Little Maurader. Oh, I can't wait! Thank you for telling us Hermione." He came and gave her a crushing hug. This prompted a dog pile on top of Hermione. She pushed them off and turned very stern. _

"_I'm still angry with you boys. You aren't off the hook!" She pointed her finger and was sure Molly Weasley would be proud. _

"_We're sorry Mione." They chorused. _

"_Oh, Alright. Remus, I didn't get to scold you properly and I'm feeling like that wasn't fair. Can we go talk somewhere?" She asked shyly. _

"_Sure…" He agreed, but he felt a little stupid. He liked this girl so much that he just willingly agreed to be yelled at. James tossed him the invisibility cloak and they slowly made their way out into the corridor. Remus was suddenly aware of how small this cloak was. Hermione's back was pressed against his chest as she led him into an abandoned classroom. She put up silencing charms and a ward to let her know if someone was approaching. She turned to him and he saw her blush prettily. _

"_Remus, please try and treat Severus a little more kindly. I know him in my time and frankly, I think he becomes the way he is because of the way he is treated now. Wait, did that make sense? Sometimes things sound clearer in my head. Mother always tells me that I need to think before I speak, but this is all so very confusing. I feel like my head is going to explode…" She rambled until she felt Remus grab her wrist._

"_Hermione." He said sweetly. She shivered. His closeness reminded her of the night in the library, back in her time. She studied his face. He didn't have the specks of gray in his hair that older Remus had. He was missing a scar near his right eye. She wondered when older Remus would receive that scar. The worry lines were almost nonexistent. _

"_Hermione, I'm sorry for the way I acted. You are absolutely right that I should know better. We both have a love for reading and I should know not to judge a book by its cover. I promise to be nicer to him. Do you forgive me?" He said in the husky voice, causing flashbacks f their almost kiss against the bookshelf. _

"_Y-yes." She whispered. _

_He pulled her close. The moonlight from the window hit her face and she was breathtaking. The full moon was tomorrow and that was probably the reason for his impulsive behavior. His eyes flashed amber and the wolf was pacing. He slowly lowered his lips to hers and pressed against them softly. She didn't turn away like he expected. In fact, she flung her arms around his neck and the kissing suddenly turned urgent. It was like she was harboring years of affection. It occurred to him that she probably WAS. He pulled away, ignoring the wolf inside and look of disappointment on her face. _

_"I need to stay in control. Can we pick this up after the full moon?" He asked nervously. _

_She understood completely. Remus stayed awake most of the night replaying the kiss in his head. Every time, without fail, he felt like an idiot for ending the moment. The wolf howled in agreement._


	9. Attack and Discoveries

**A/N: Heeeeey. Don't eat me. I know it's been awhile! Here's a new chapter and hopefully this moves the story on a bit. I wasn't sure if I was going to have some action in this fic but my imagination said otherwise. Thanks to all the new followers! I hope I can continue to keep your interest. Leave me a review?**

**-Sierra Emilie**

**Disclaimer: I own a whole lotta nothing. **

Present Day-2001

Hermione had read thru the texts "The Standard Book of Spells year 1-4" in a matter of days. Remus was able to help her with the practical work and any questions she had. If she was honest with herself, she felt a bit useless. He said she was the brightest witch of her age and yet, she struggled with the most basic magic. There was some muscle memory returning but any sort of memory was still painful. Remus suggested that Harry come over to help. Hermione was brought out of her thoughts by the doorbell.

Harry was ordered by Remus to hang out with Hermione for a few hours. He had some "business" to attend to at the Ministry. When Harry inquired about said business, Remus was oddly secretive.

She gave Harry an awkward side hug as he walked in the front door. They sat in the kitchen having minimal conversation, slowly sipping their tea. Some days were better than other's as far as human contact. Hermione preferred to be around Remus, as they had gotten very close the past month. He was away for one night about a week ago and she found she missed him. She was trying to act normally with her friend's and they were all so patient. It didn't stop the guilt she felt every time she flinched from a hug.

After tea, they worked on shield charms well into the evening. The awkwardness was easing up and Hermione found herself enjoying herself. The happiness in the room faded quickly when Sirius's Patronus came running into the room. She had just recently read up on the Patronus Charm even though it was way too advanced for her skill level at the moment. She wasn't surprised to see Sirius' take the shape of a dog. She joked with Remus that he was like an overgrown puppy. She looked over to see Harry's face pale and she couldn't understand why. The Patronus started speaking and it made Hermione jump.

"Muggle attack in London. All Auror's and Order needed." She knew Harry, Sirius and James were the magical equivalent of police officers. The look Harry had on his face gave Hermione chills. He had his wand drawn, ready for battle.

"Mione, I have to go. I promise i'll see you sometime soon." Harry said quickly before placing a kiss on her cheek and literally disappearing before her very eyes. She didn't know that was possible. She clutched her head as a memory resurfaced.

_Hermione was running with a younger Harry, Ron, Ginny and two other people she didn't recognize. They were in a room with glass balls on shelves. The room was massive and it appeared that the group of teenagers were searching for something. _

_Harry was angry and confused that Sirius wasn't in the room. Lord Voldemort wanted one of the glass balls and somehow Harry was involved. _

_The memory changed to show Harry and a slightly younger Sirius battling two other cloaked, figures. One had long blond hair and the other was a woman who looked insane. Suddenly, a flash of green shot out of the deranged woman's wand and Sirius fell back into some sort of mirror. She heard screams, and cries. Remus was holding Harry back. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Sirius was dead. _

_The scene switched to Hermione in some sort of Hospital. A nurse was fussing over Hermione's giant gash on her abdomen. She kept hearing the same name over and over again._

"_Dolohov."_

The memory stopped but it did not go away like the others. Hermione was shaking on the floor, sobbing. She almost wished this memory would disappear. The torment on her friend's faces, and Sirius falling into the strange mirror was on replay in her mind. The gash oozing blood and the name, mocking her over and over again. She didn't understand. This couldn't possibly be a memory. She met Sirius and he was definitely alive. The teenagers looked about 15 years old and she found it hard to believe that teenagers were fighting with these black, cloaked figures. Surely adults wouldn't have allowed this? She realized how insane all of this sounded. She tried to read to distract herself. Where was Remus? Hermione spent about thirty minutes "reading" before she curled up on the couch and fell asleep.

* * *

Remus stumbled in the house about midnight. He had gotten the Patronus and went to help. Sodding Death Eaters causing problems. He was so sure they were done with all this bullshit but apparently they were becoming active again. He was bleeding pretty badly from his shoulder and was bumping into everything. His vision was blurry and he pleaded with himself to not lose consciousness. Hermione jumped up from the couch at the noise, wand drawn. She rushed over to his aid and led him over to the couch.

"Remus! What happened? Are you okay?! Oh, Remus, you're bleeding! Let me call 911…" Hermione said trying to stay calm as she reached for her cell phone. Remus grabbed her hand to stop her. She looked at him like he was crazy.

"I'm a wizard. I-I can't have muggles treating me. I need you to go into our room and grab the potions I showed you the other day. Grab the bottle labeled Dittany in the bathroom cabinet. Bring them to me and I'll help you heal me." Remus said holding up a piece of his torn shirt to his shoulder. She came back a minute later and he instructed her on how to administer the Dittany. She was covered in his blood and shaking. She shushed him and said soothing words while he screamed from the Dittany being applied. He knocked back a final pain potion and already felt better. She cupped his face in her hands and placed urgent kisses on his face, avoiding any cuts.

"Please, Remus, what happened? Are you a police type thing too? Did you go where Harry went?!" She asked the panic starting to increase again.

Remus didn't know how to answer this. There was so much she didn't remember. She had no idea that the returning Death Eaters were baiting the Order tonight. They were looking for her.

_Remus apparated onto the cobbled stone street and was overloaded with the sounds of screams and battle. Several Order members were already fighting the Death Eaters. There was about 15 of them and the Order was currently out numbered. He prayed the Aurors would show up soon. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw some Death Eaters being bound by Harry and Sirius. _

"_Oi! Wolf Boy! Remember me?" A masked Death Eater said, causing Remus to draw his wand. Remus thought he sounded very familiar but couldn't put a face to the voice._

"_Well unfortunately, assholes like yourself just sort of start to blend together. Hard to tell your lot apart." Remus said with a cheeky grin. His Maurader humor always came out during battle. He found it kept the PTSD at bay. He had fought in two wars after all. _

"_Think your funny do you? I remember you wolf. Not so much you…but your wife." The Death Eater said menacingly, enjoying the reaction he got out of Remus. "Rumor has it she's returned. Pity about her memory."_

_Remus had kept Hermione's condition away from the press. As well as info about her mysterious disappearance. No one really made the connection that this Hermione who disappeared five years ago is the same one who disappeared from his life in 1980. This Death Eater knew something and he was going to find out. He shot a fierce hex at the enemy who barely dodged it. The duel was on. _

"_Where is that sexy tart of yours Lupin? I have some unfinished business with her." The Death Eater said as he hit Remus on the shoulder with a curse. "She really was delicious I must say. I hope to taste her again someday."_

_Remus knew exactly what bastard he was dueling. His body trembled with rage when the masked figure spoke these words. Hermione was captured back in November 1979 after a failed order mission. This creep laid his filthy hands on his wife before she somehow escaped. "Dolohov." Remus said with as much hate as he could muster. Remus found the strength to stand, ignoring the blood and pain. "You will never touch her again." Remus said in a growl. The wolf was coming out for blood. His eyes flashed amber and Dolohov paled slightly. Before he could cause permanent harm, Dolohov and several other Death Eaters dissaperated. _

"_Fuck!" Sirius yelled out in frustration. _

_The Order and Aurors around Remus had heard the whole encounter. James started to reach for Remus but he pushed him away._

"_Moony, you don't think…they are after her again? How could they know it's her?" Sirius asked timidly. _

"_We can talk about this tomorrow. I need to see her. She's at the house alone without protection." Remus said quickly as he dissaperated to their cottage. _

"Remus! Answer me!" Hermione yelled, shaking his arms slightly.

"Sorry dear. I'm here. Hermione listen to me very carefully okay?" Remus said as he held her hands tightly. She nodded and his heart broke when he saw the fear in her eyes. "Hermione, magic is brilliant. It's powerful. And it is also very dangerous. We defeated a dark wizard in 1998. Some of his followers hid and we have been trying to capture them for years. Tonight these followers reappeared and did what they do best. Cause destruction and instill fear on innocent lives. I'm a part of an underground group called the Order of The Pheonix. Honestly we aren't all that underground, but sometimes we get things done faster than the Ministry. They knew we would come to aid the attack and well it appears a certain follower has now stepped up as the leader." Remus explained trying to keep his features calm.

"Remus, I know there is more you aren't telling me. I can feel it. Are we not safe?" Hermione asked. He didn't answer have to answer her question, she saw the fear in his eyes.

"The Order is coming over tomorrow to help me place protective wards on the house. We will be discussing the recent attacks. Not to mention there are Order members begging to see you. Who can blame them? You are a member of the Order after all." He said sweetly. She looked at him in shock.

"I am?" She asked in disbelief.

"Yes. A vital member. You are still a magnificent witch Hermione. The best there is in years. We will get you back to where you were in no time. You are doing great but please be patient and let us look after you for a while okay?" He hoped this was reassuring her but the doubt was obvious in her expression. He leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. Her features seemed to relax a bit. The knocking on the door made them jump. He asked her to hide while he staggered to the front door.

"Moony. That you ol sport?" Asked James.

"It's me Prongs. What was the erm…muggle entertainment we found under Sirius's bed in sixth year?" He asked.

"We found the Playboy magazines he nicked from Issac, the fourth year Muggleborn. His reasoning for having the magazines was to and I quote, "Save the poor boy's innocence." You confiscated them, being a goody goody Prefect and burned them in the common room. I have never seen Sirius sob with such sincerity." James said with a chuckle.

"It was degrading Prongs! Plus I seriously did enjoy watching him suffer." Remus chuckled at the memory.

"My turn! What was the song Lilly and I danced to at our wedding?" James asked.

"Trick question! It was supposed to be At Last by Etta James. You have a soft spot for muggle Jazz, Prongsie. The song you guys ended up dancing to was, "Boogie Wonderland by Earth Wind and Fire, curtesy of Padfoot. We were waiting for Lilly's wrath but she knew what she was getting into marrying you!" Remus said as he flung the door open. The security questions were helpful to avoid imposters, but the Mauraders always had a little too much fun with them. Remus remembered how a young Alastor Moody would bitch them out for this little game they played.

"It's alright dear. Just James." Remus called over his shoulder. He watched as his wife lunged herself at James. James was surprised by the affection, but happy to have his old friend back.

"James! You're alright! How is Harry? Ron? Sirius? Any one hurt! Here, you both are injured. Come sit down please." Hermione said as she fussed over the two men.

"Mione. Calm down. We are all fine. Harry and Ron are checking in with their wives. I went to Lilly first before I came here but I just needed to make sure Remus made it home alright. Looks like you healed him up brilliantly, but that's nothing new." James said as he limped over to the couch.

"Err…Dear? Is it alright if Prongs crashes on the couch tonight? We need to have at least one other Order member here to keep guard." Remus asked hesitantly. When they first got married, Lilly and Hermione were always joking about someone occupying their living rooms. It just came with the jobs and friends. "Marry one Maurader and you've married them all!" was a common phrase.

"Of course." Hermione said warmly. Then she turned very stern and pointed her finger at Remus. "I'm going to go get him some pillows and blankets for James and when I return, you better be in bed resting. Do you hear me Remus?"

"Y-yes of course. Night Prongs!" Remus said as he leapt of the couch, going as fast as he could to the bedroom.

She turned to James who had a smirk on his face. "Wipe that look off your face James Potter or I'll call up Lilly and tell her you aren't resting." Hermione said trying to stop herself from smiling. When she returned to the room she bid James goodnight.

"Night Mione. It's good to see you coming back to yourself. I missed ya." James said before turning over and falling asleep.

* * *

Morning couldn't come soon enough. Hermione tossed and turned all night with anxiety about what she would learn today. She made the boys some breakfast and put herself to work with cleaning the house. She found it was a welcomed distraction from her thoughts. Sirius had come to switch placed with James. Sirius and Remus were currently de-gnoming the garden. Apparently this took a while. "Well dear. You are quite the humanitarian. You pretty much insisted that I treat the gnomes with respect and so I spend most of my time convincing them to move to another garden. It usually doesn't work, but it's something I admire about you." Remus told her with a loving smile. By three that afternoon, a plump red headed woman came rushing into the house squealing and hugging Hermione. She only stopped when she noticed how tense Hermione was.

"Sorry dear. I've forgotten that you don't remember me. Molly Weasley. I'm Ronald and Ginevera's mother. And honestly Arthur and I have always considered like one of our own." Molly said explained before making her way to the kitchen.

"Molly, right. I've heard all about your fantastic cooking. I can't wait to try some. Need any help?" Hermione asked.

"Oh no dearie. Go ahead and relax." Molly said as she flicked her wand here and there. Pots began to fill with water, setting themselves on the stove to boil. Potatoes were peeling themselves, and a knife was chopping up vegetables. Hermione watched at the doorway for a minute in amazement. She turned to the book shelf in the living room and began searching the dusty titles.

She grabbed a book on Time Travel that looked like it had seen better days. Several pages were doggy eared and Hermione noticed several pieces of loose parchment with notes in her hand writing. She sat on the couch and read the first page of notes. She had to do a double take when she read the date scrawled on the top right corner.

"_Hermione Lupin October 1979"_

Hermione took the book with the notes into the bedroom. She opened the box with pictures and memories digging furiously to reach the bottom. She pulled out a worn leather-bound journal and gingerly opened to the first page.

"_September 5__th__, 1976_

_Dear Diary,_

_It's been a week that I've been stuck in the seventies. While it's nice to have the familiarity of school work and classes, I miss home. I miss Ron and Harry. Harry looks so much like his father and has his mother's warm personality. It's been interesting to see Sirius before all the tragedy and jail time. He is incredibly cocky, sometimes annoying but also fiercely loyal to his friends. He knows exactly what to say to cheer me up and for that I'm grateful. Remus…well it's a bit strange to be around him. His condition makes him hard to predict. He can be so up and down, but mostly, he is reserved. He is so afraid to get close to people. I feel so comfortable around him that I have to remind myself that he doesn't know me yet. Lilly is convinced he has a crush on me but how can she tell? He is locked up so tight. I hope I can tell him that I know his secret and don't care. I see the way girls look at him. He's mysterious and okay…handsome. The Mauraders are the most popular boys for a reason. Except Peter. I find I have to fight the nausea back when I'm in his presence. I wish I could change things. Lord knows I already have by my being here. The prospect of me returning home is looking pretty bleak. Time Travel is so new in this time and traveling forward was unheard of back in the 90's."_

Hermione didn't finish the entry. She was breathing very heavily trying to wrap her head around the fact that she traveled thru time. She laughed out loud, feeling slightly crazy. She wasn't completely comfortable with these people, but she trusted them. She had accepted that magic was real, that she was magical. That in itself should have surprised her. Hermione would have never accepted something so outrageous unless it was fact. What's one more insane idea to believe in? She got up to look at the pictures in the hall. She stared at the picture of herself and Remus dancing under pretty lights. Her hands started to shake as she pulled the framed picture off the wall. She popped the frame open and turned the picture over.

"_December 24__th__ 1979"_

The sounds of people entering out of the fireplace brought her out of her daze. She quickly replaced the photo on the wall and took a few minutes in the bedroom to recover. When she entered the garden, a huge table was conjured. Several people were already seated and greeted her with smiles. She tried to smile back and seated herself next to Remus. She focused on pouring herself some tea.

"You alright?" He asked quietly.

The cup was shaking violently in her hand as she tried to take a sip. He grabbed the cup and saucer from her hands and placed them on the table.

"I'm sorry Remus. I'm fine. Just nervous." She said with a smile that she hoped was convincing. He didn't have time to ask questions because the table was full of people and the meeting had started.

"Right. Welcome Order members. We are all so happy to have Hermione back. There is much to discuss and explain. Some of the members are out of the loop including, I'm afraid Hermione. Remus? Do you think you can explain?" Kingsley said.

Remus cleared his throat before standing up. Much of the Order contained his old students and this always made him smile. He turned his attention to Hermione. "Hermione there is something we haven't told you yet about your disappearance…"

"You meant the part where I traveled back in time?" She asked bitterly, ignoring the gasps from a few members.

"How…" Remus began asking.

"I found an old journal." She said in a harsh tone that made Remus wince. "I don't understand why you kept this from me."

"Well we didn't want to put too much on you. Some of the past is wonderful, but some of it isn't pretty. We all care about you here. Our intensions were good." Remus said, his voice rising a little in anger. "You must understand Hermione. For some you were gone for five years. For others it was twenty one. We thought we lost you forever. You weren't supposed to travel forward, but somehow you did. We thought. No, I thought I'd never see you again." His throat was thick as he tried to fight back the emotions rising. She watched him with guilty, wide eyes. "I mentioned to you last night that there are dark wizards in our world. No beating around the bush because we don't have time. They were after you then and they are after you now." Remus finished speaking.

"Why are they after Hermione?" Dean Thomas asked from the other side of the table.

"They found out in the past where Hermione came from. The information she held was dangerous in Voldemort's hands so naturally he sent his puppets after her." Remus answered, still only looking at Hermione.

"It was Wormtail wasn't it? He betrayed the two of you as well?" Neville Longbottom asked.

"Yes, but we have reason to believe it wasn't just him. Snape's disappeared and we can't get ahold of him. Hermione was close to Snape when we were in school and it's possible he figured out her secret. We can't be sure. For now, Hermione needs protection. Dolohov made it very clear he wants his revenge." Sirius said.

"Did you say Dolohov?" She asked in a small voice. "He was in my dreams last night. Well, it wasn't really a dream. A memory. But it couldn't have been because you died Sirius! You fell into some mirror thing!" Hermione said.

Sirius gave her a cheeky grin. "I WAS dead Dollface. Seems your meddling with time encouraged the "mirror thing" to spit me out."

"I don't understand." She said looking confused.

"Hermione, my parents. They were killed by Voldemort years ago. I survived the killing curse as a one year old because of an old protective charm my mother placed on me. Voldemort died-ish but came back years later. Dumbledore explained this so much better but basically, time locked around that event. It was something you did unintentionally I think, but it was some brilliant use of magic. They were alive, but had to stay hidden and locked away until you disappeared into the past. That was our 6th year at Hogwarts. That was when the veil spit Sirius out. We still don't understand how it all happened. With your memory gone it's been hard to piece together some things. Like your age. When you left Remus you were 20, but Doctor Carr said you were 18. It's all very confusing, but we'll get some answers." Harry explained.

"Hermione, we got married. We were going to start a family. You never meant to come back to this timeline." Remus said, the anguish clear in his voice.

"What does Dolohov have to do with this though?" Neville asked.

Remus couldn't answer this part. It was difficult for him to talk about. Lilly saw the look in his eyes and spoke for him.

"Hermione was an original member of the Order with us. She was kidnapped by death eaters in November of 1979. They had already figured out her secret by then and were trying to fish information out of her. Dolohov was in charge of her when she was held prisoner. Somehow, our clever girl escaped after about a week and a half captivity and well…torture. Voldemort was furious that she escaped and killed Dolohov's wife. He wants revenge." Lilly explained and gave Hermione a look of sympathy.

"I don't really know what to say. I don't want anyone to do get hurt…" Hermione was trying to absorb all this information but she obviously cared for these people. She saw what happened to James and Remus last night.

"Mione. You're pulling a Harry!" George Weasley said. Everyone looked at him in surprise and started laughing. She'd ask Remus about him later.

"I've fought dark wizards since I was 11 and you were right there with me. This isn't just for you. This is for the greater good and it's a fight we've all consented to long ago. Dolohov is weak because he is tainted with revenge. He won't last long in this fight. Okay?" Harry said gently. His smile was infectious.

Hermione let out a sigh that let everyone know she had agreed.

"Now! Let's set up these new wards and eat! Dinner should be ready soon!" James said.

Hermione was quiet the rest of the evening, but she was feeling better. She felt like her mind was piecing things together and she knew a bit more about herself. She was happy to understand a bit more about Remus and their relationship. The age difference didn't ever really bother her, but still.

"Moony! What was all the secretive business at the Ministry about anyway?" Sirius asked.

"I was going to share this with Hermione later, but now is fine." Remus said as he stood up, getting everyone's attention. "As some of you know, I was worried about Hermione I's marriage still being valid in this time. I had no idea if her time traveling would impact anything. I've wanted to check for years if we were still legally married but I wanted to wait until she came back to me. I went down to the ministry yesterday and looked at the list of Marriages. Took some time to convince the lady at reception that I was married to THE Hermione Granger." Everyone chuckled while Hermione blushed. "I am happy to say that she is still a Lupin and always will be!" Remus said happily. The table erupted in cheers and Hermione found herself receiving hugs and congratulated. She laughed and felt her cheeks flush. She was feeling 100 percent comfortable for the first time since she woke up. Remus turned to her and lifted her into a hug. He looked into her eyes and Hermione saw him look hesitant.

"That is. If it's alright with you. To be married to me. I understand if you don't want t…"

Hermione didn't let him finish his doubtful thoughts as she pulled him into a passionate kiss. The table erupted in even more cheers and cat-calls.


	10. Mate

A/N: remember that one time my husband broke our only computer on accident? And I couldn't freaking update my story forever. Sot hen I had to do it on my iPhone? Yeah...that was NOT a good time. here is an adorable flash back. I promise to update again later this next week.

-Sierra Emilie

disclosure: i own nothing. JK is queeeeeen.

Hermione was trying her absolute best to live in the now. It all felt like a giant joke considering her "now" was the past. She had plenty of things she should be worrying about, like how to get home for example. Yet here she was, the brightest witch of her age, fretting over a school dance. She knew who she wanted to go with. Unfortunately, said person was being absolutely awkward whenever she was around. Hermione had doubts about that kiss. did he even like her like that? Was it just a moment of weakness? Perhaps he was just having trouble coming to terms with everything. She couldn't blame Remus, but the other boys were handling the time travel thing pretty well. This Remus was so different and yet so similar to the Future version. He often looked at her with uncertainty, or as if she were another creature. Oh the irony of it all.

So Hermione did what she does best. Distract herself with schoolwork and reading while ignoring conversation on the nerve wracking subject. Apparently school functions such as this were reoccurring in the late 70's. Hermione remembered her fourth year Yule Ball. She truly felt beautiful that night. That is, until Ronald butchered her happy feelings with his own insecurities. Viktor was...interesting. He was also her first kiss. But with the dance a week from that Friday, she had the feeling of Dejavu. Remus had yet to ask her and frankly she wasn't sure if he would. She was going to Hogsmead with Alice and Lilly, her door mates to pick out dresses. That was the extent she was allowing herself to think about the dance. If she was honest with herself, she was seriously disappointed. She was going dateless. Lilly accepted Severus's invitation and Alice had Frank Longbottom. She hated all these girly feelings and planned on drinking lots of butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks to drown her angst.

* * *

"Can you please tell me what your problem is? If you don't ask her, someone else will." Sirius scolded his sandy haired friend.

"yeah Mate! We've all got dates! Even Peter! Your first choice might even say yes!" James said a little bitterly. Evans turned him down, and was going with some Ravenclaw muggle born.  
Remus raked his fingers thru his hair over and over again. He wanted to ask her. She was beautiful, so smart and incredibly kind. She was also from the future and he would be lying if he said that didn't bother him some. She knew everything about everyone, and it had sort of out a damper on their friendship. His three best friends didn't feel bothered by it. The wolf inside was making things even worse. Moony had decided that Hermione was their mate. Mate!No choice in the situation whatsoever for the both of them. He couldn't get close because once he fell for her like he knew he would, he wouldn't be able to let go. The possessiveness he felt for her scared him. He fought the feeling and that made Moony livid. His best mates had no idea of this internal battle. He hadn't even told them about the kiss.  
"I don't think she'd say yes." Was his answer every time this conversation was brought up. It was lame and he knew it but his friends didn't press any further.

* * *

Hermione walked to dinner with her nose in a book? She had mastered walking and reading around her second year. She expertly avoided missing steps on the staircases while she remained lost in the world of a handsome Mr. Darcy. She didn't notice the 7th year Gryffindor hiding behind a tapestry on the third floor. Nor did she notice when he jumped out in front of her. That is, until she ran straight into his surprisingly hard chest. Hermione yelped back in surprise and would have called to the floor had the boy not caught her around the waist. Slowly, she looked into his face. She fought the urge to jump again. Standing in front of her was the exact replica of Cormac McLaggen, fiercely handsome and smirking at her. She realized she had sort of been gawking at him and finally spoke.

"uhm. Sorry for running into you." She said shyly.

"Not to worry. You're Hermione right?" He asked. She noticed straight away that Calum lacked the cockiness his son had. That was refreshing.

"I am. I'm sorry, but I don't know your name." She held her book closely to her chest.

"Names Calum McLaggen." He said as he reached out a hand to shake her hand. He gave her a warm smile that made her insides squirm.

"Anyway, I was wondering if a pretty Lass like yourself had a date to the dance? I'm sorry I'm asking so late, but it's taken me awhile to get the nerve to ask ye."

"I don't have a date." Hermione said. She bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from smiling like an idiot.

"Did ye want to go with me?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck in what she assumed was a nervous habit of his.

Hermione tried to play off like this was no big deal He was asking, but her rapid heartbeat said otherwise.

"yes. That would be nice." She said with a small smile.  
Calum grinned like the Cheshire Cat. He gave her a hug and kiss on the cheek before walking with her to the Great Hall. Hermione was blushing uncontrollably, feeling much better than she had that morning.

* * *

Remus knew she entered the Great Hall when he caught a whiff of her vanilla scent. He almost chocked on his dinner roll when he saw her with McLaggen. She was giggling and blushing at something he said. Suddenly his appetite was lost and he pushed his plate away with a little too much force. Hermione came skipping over to the table and sat across from him. He must have had a fierce look in his eyes because she turned away quickly. She sat there chatting up the other Mauraders about their dates. Laughing that stupid laugh he loved so much. Refusing to meet his gaze again, but played with her hair nervously. She ate in a rush saying she was meeting someone in the Library.

"See you later Remus." She said sadly, making him feel extremely guilty. Remus gave her a forced smile, but it seemed to cheer her up.

* * *

The girls successfully found their dresses, indulged in girl talk, and stumbled happily back to the castle. The week flew by quickly, filled with the latest gossip about Calum and Hermione. It wasn't every day the hottest, popular Gryffindor Quidditch captain asks the nerdy bookworm to a dance. It was just like the beginning of the year when everyone talked about the new girl. Three out of four Marauders teased playfully about her date. The fourth one continued to be extremely cold towards her and she couldn't help but feel angry towards him. Remus had no right to be acting so...jealous. He never made his feelings known and that wasn't her fault. She woke up early that Friday morning feeling excited. Her dress was sort of sexier than she intended it to be but she felt gorgeous and confident in it. It was a vibrant red number that hugged her hips, ended just above her knee. It had a sweetheart neckline and thick straps. She paired the dress with simple black heels. Her hair was left in a faux bob with soft, vintage finger waves. She felt glamorous. Lilly wore a flowery green dress that matched her eyes and Alice went with a simple yet elegant, little black dress. When the girls walked down the stairs to the Great Hall, they were met with stares. Every head turned. That sort of thing does wonders for a girl's confidence. The Mauraders were standing very close to Calum, who was gaping at her like a fish. He seemed to catch himself, and offered her a warm smile. James was ogling Lilly, completely lost for words and Hermione saw her blush for a minute before looking for her date. Frank and Alice ran off somewhere, probably to snog. Hermione couldn't help but feel a bit awkward with her four boys standing so close to her date.

"Mione! You look foxy!" Sirius said with a whistle. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Don't you boys have dates waiting?" She asked, hoping they would take the hint to leave. It was only then did she notice the fierce gaze coming from Remus. She shifted from one foot to the other uncomfortably.

"Yes well first we had to have a talk with McLaggen here." James said in a warning tone as he smacked Calum on the back roughly.

"Have her home by 10." Sirius said with a wink.

"Oh honestly..." Hermione grumbled.

"Alright. 10:30. Have funny kids. And behave!" James said as he dragged his friends away from the couple. Remus needing a little more force than the other two.

"Sorry about them." Hermione said, a blush creeping up to her cheeks.

"Not a problem. I think it's kind of sweet that they look out for you. I didn't get to say it's yet, but you look beautiful." Calum offered her his arm and they made their way inside the hall. The theme was autumn and the enchanted ceiling had colored leaves falling overhead. A wizard funk band was playing and Hermione had to stifle a giggle when she saw Dumbledore dancing.

McLaggen was a goofy dancer and it made him all the more endearing. Especially when he didn't seem self conscious about his lack of moves. They danced the majaority of the night. When she went to sit down, Calum gave her a quick peck on the lips before running off to get drinks. Hermione was smiling like an idiot but stopped when she turned her gaze to the doors of the hall. Remus was being physically held back by both Sirius and James. He was staring right at her with a look of fury, lips curled into a snarl. The two teens managed to pull Remus from the hall and at that point Calum returned.

"You okay Lass?" He said close to her ear.

Hermione shook the look of worry from her face. She took his hand and led him back out onto the dance floor.

* * *

"Remus! What the fuck is your problem!" Sirius said as he locked the abandoned classroom door.  
Remus literally growled, stopping James and Sirius from hurling any other insults at him. They took a look into his eyes and saw them shift quickly from blue to bright amber.  
Sirius timidly stepped closer to his friend, as if he was trying not to scare a wild creature.

"Moony ol sport? That you?" he asked nervously. The wolf had taken over the human body of Remus once before.

"I won't hurt you Padfoot." Moony said in a deep, raspy voice. His eyes started to turn lighter until they finally shifted back to blue. Remus hung his head in shame.

"Remus. What happened out there? You've been acting strange all week." James said.

"She's my mate." He said quietly. A lump in his throat made it difficult to swallow.  
Sirius and James's eyes widened. When the Mauraders discovered Remus was a warewolf, they read up every book in the library on the subject. They knew a wolf finding their mate was once in a lifetime experience. They always hoped Remus would find his but they didn't expect it to be so soon.

"like, mate for life mate?" Sirius asked, sitting next to Remus on a table. He pulled out a flask of firewiskey from his dress robes and handed it to his friend.

"Yep." Remus took a big swig of the whiskey, enjoying the burn.

"But she's with McLaggen..."James could relate to Remus's jealousy and anger. Sure, him and Lilly weren't cosmically connected like are us and Hermione, but they might as well be.

"I can't explain it. I know she's mine. i want her to be mine, but she also deserves a choice. She deserves better. Moony is getting angry that I won't let us claim her." Remus attempted to explain.

"You can't ignore this forever. It's just going to get worse for you and Moony..."

"Don't you think I know that Prongs? I never expected to find a mate! I planned on living life alone. Then, she literally appeared into our lives. i accepted it until she told us the truth. The possessiveness kicked in as soon as I saw her with McLaggen." The anguish on Remus's face made his friends uncomfortable. They had never seen him this way before.

"She knows about me in the future. About all of us. I can't help but feel a bit awkward around her. What if my older-self told her and she chose not to accept this bond?"

"Honestly Remus, does it seem like she knows?"

Remus sighed. "No."

"Well, maybe the first step is to work on your friendship. That way you can still be protective of her, get close to her, but not, well, you know. Get it on." Sirius snickered.

"Oh for fucks sake Paddy. Grow up. You know this is more than just sex. But you're right. I suppose I can do this. Doesn't mean I'm happy about McLaggen. In fact, conversation centering around that prick is banned when I'm near okay?"

"Deal! But I have a feeling Mione is going to want some sort of apology and explanation for the way you've been acting." James pointed out.

* * *

Remus was tipsy by the time the boys returned to the common room under the cloak. He found Hermione laying across the couch. She was still in her dress, legs hanging off the arm rest, nose in a book. The fireplace light made her glow and left far to many inappropriate mental images in his brain.

He cleared his throat and stumbled to the chair clumsily.

"Remus! You scared me. Are you okay?" Hermione noticed his eyes were a little glossed over. She could smell the whiskey from the couch.

"Uhm. Yes. Pfine. I just came to apologize."

"Maybe we should wait till your sober Remus."

"No! I mean. hear me out. I've been a completed assface asshole monster."

Hermione covered up the giggle escaping her lips.

"Yes I'd say that an excellent description" she gave him a smile that made him relax a little more.

"You are magnificent and I have no excuse for my behavior. I was hoping we could start over?"

"I'm Hermione Granger. Insufferable know it all. It's lovely to meet you." She playfully shook his hand.

"Remus Lupin. Occasionally a tosser. It's a pleasure."

They held hands for a minute longer than they should have. He enjoyed how soft her hands were and how right they looked in his own. He saw her cheeks begin to blush and could hear her heart rate pick up. They finally dropped hands and she stood up to leave. She turned and looked at him for a minute. Direct eye contact. He didn't realize she saw the flash of Amber in his gaze.

"Goodnight Moony."

Remus watched her leave for her dorm and jumped when his three friends materialized before him.

"She called you Moony." Sirius pointed out in a sing song voice.

"Oh, shut up!" Remus threw a pillow at Sirius. Perhaps there was hope.


	11. Quick update please don't kill me :)

Promise new chapter by tonight or tomorrow. Had to repost chapter ten after I fixed some things because I typed that all up on my tiny iPhone screen. I still isn't perfect which I apologize for. Something's were left out and apparently deleted when I edited it the first time. Like you know, the fact that Hermione and Remus kissed?! So I fixed that back to the way it should have been. I wasn't ignoring that intentionally! Anywho, continue to leave reviews if you'd like and hellos to the new followers!

Okay, im to attempt to finish put his next chapter for y'all but remember I have a two year old sooooo

Sierra Emilie

P.S. I might stay in the past for the next couple of chapters. Hope ya don't mind. Kthanksbyeeee


	12. Moony

This full moon was probably the worst Remus has had since his first transformation. He had taken the Wolfsbane like normal, but when Moony found out Hermione wasn't going to be there that night, Moony fought his way out. He was currently slamming against the Shrieking Shack door repeaditly.

James, Peter and Sirius tried to calm him down in their animal forms, but that didn't work. In a moment of distraction, the boys escaped, changed back into their human forms, and warded the doors. Peter had just returned with Professor McGonagall.

A lonely sounding howl made the boys and Professor flinch.

"What has gotten into Mr. Lupin?"

The boys shared nervous glances between each other. They knew what was wrong. Moony wanted Hermione. She wasn't able to escape from a girly sleepover in her dorm room and at the time, the boys didn't have a problem with her absence for the evening. Now, they wished she was here. Do they risk losing Remus's trust for The safety of their brother?

With a sigh, Sirius spoke up.

"Minnie, we need Hermione."

She looked at the boys in horror.

"Absolutely not! I will not risk my student being near Remus in this state. She's not an anigmus like you three. It's not safe!"

"Trust us...okay I know that is a large request but...trust Remus. She calms him. We don't know why." James lied easily. Professor McGonagall studied the three for a minute before letting out a frustrated grunt.

"Fine, but I want you three in there in your anigmus forms. Get her out as soon as you sense danger. Okay?"

She marched up to the castle, robes billowing out behind her. The 6th year Gryffindor girls were giggling and screamed when the door opened with a bang. Hermione had her wand drawn, ready for battle and lowered it when she saw her favorite teachers standing in the doorway.

"Miss Granger. Come with me." She was about to turn away when she spoke again. "Dress warmer and please stay calm. I'll be waiting outside the portrait."

The door closed and the girls looked at Hermione nervously as she pulled a jumper over her t shirt, laced up her shoes, and ran out to meet her Professor.

They didn't say a word as they walked out of the castle. Immediately Hermione knew where they were headed.

"Is Remus okay?!" She asked. A loud bang answered for her. She ran to the Whomping Willow. She heard Padfoot barking and Moony howling. Professor McGonagall caught up with her and gave her a small smile.

"Miss Granger. Mr. Potter and Mr. Black seem to think you will be able to calm the wolf. You will be safe because the other three will be in their anigmus form. They will get you out should the Need arise. Good luck." She walked back to the castle.

Hermione slowly made her way down the tunnel, trying to remain calm every time she heard Moony ram into the door. About half way down, the wolf stopped. She could see Moony sniffing under the door and then he started scratching at the door frantically. She took another deep breath before talking through the door.

"Moony. It's me. Can you stand back so I can come in?" She heard his claws click against the hardwood floor before she opened the door. She looked at the wolf before her in awe. His fur was the same shade as his sandy hair. His eyes were bright Amber.

"Hello Moony. My, you are lovely aren't you." She whispered. Hermione reached out her hand to pet him and smiled when he leaned into her touch. She started to move across the room when Moony whined.

"I'm not leaving you, I promise. I just want to sit somewhere comfortable okay?" They crossed the room and she looked out of the corner of her eye to see Padfoot, Prongs and Wormtail sitting like statues.

Finally she sat down leaning against the wall only to be grabbed by a paw. Padfoot barked and Moony growled. Hermione schooled her face so she remained calm.

"Padfoot. Moony won't hurt me. He just wants me to sit closer." She spoke confidently. Remus and Moony would never hurt her.

Padfoot laid back down while Hermione scooted close to the wolf. He wrapped his giant paw around her waist protectively.

"Moony, I'm sure you know I read to Remus, and so I thought I'd do that now. Only I haven't brought a book so I hope a story will suffice." She absentmindedly stroked his fur.

"In my third year we had a magnificent DADA teacher. the first two years were horrid so we were quite please by this Professor. He was so smart, Gentle and kind. He taught us so much and our final test was an obstacle course. He also happened to be a warewolf." She watched Moony lift up his head, signaling for her to continue.

"I'm sorry to say that bigotry still existed in my time. But when the school, well majority of the school, minus a ferret, found out he was a warewolf, they didn't care. He was still the best Defence teacher. He taught Harry how to do a Potronus Charm. That was our third year! It was amazing."

She paused for a second. James would be absolutely giddy if he knew the form Harry's Potronus makes.

"Would you like to know his name?" Hermione asked Moony.

The wolf nodded.

"His name was Professor Remus John Lupin." The wolf looked at her shocked. Slowly, he gave her a grin.

Padfoot barked a laugh and the wolf joined In. She noticed all her friends, even in animal in animal form, were smiling.

She talked until she fell asleep, curled up next to the wolf.

* * *

She was being shaken awake my James. She rolled over to find herself wrapped around a very...naked Remus. She gently tore herself away without waking up Remus. Hermione avoided looking at his sculpted body. James woke Remus up and passed him his clothes while Hermione covered her eyes.

Once he was dressed he limped over to Sirius and James, who helped take him up to the Hospital Wing. Hermione followed quietly, her mind racing. She was stopped outside the Great Hall by Calum. He gently kissed her on the lips.

"Hermione, you seem a bit peaky. You okay?"

She shook her head and gave him a forced smile. "Yes, well actually. I feel a little queasy. I think I might go see Madam Pomfrey. I'll see you a little later okay?" She didn't wait for his response before she took off to check on Remus.

She opened the door to find him groaning in pain as Madam Pomfrey healed the self-inflicted damage. She ran up to his bed and held his hand. Remus focused on Hermione to distract himself from the pain. He closed his eyes and remembered how it felt to have her pressed against him.

Madam Pomfrey made him chug a Dreamless Sleep potion. Remus was starting to drift off to sleep and closed his eyes. Hermione didn't realize he was still awake when she whispered in his ear.

"Oh Remus. Why didn't you tell me? You've known all this time. The almost kiss at Grimmauld Place? You were just acting on instinct, you didn't actually want me. Goodness this all makes sense now." She was stroking his hair in the same way she did with Moony. He was having difficulty clinging to conscious.

"I understand why you wouldn't want this. Why you would ever want to spend the rest of your life with me?"

Remus fell asleep. Hermione left his side.


	13. The Lupin's

**a/n: So I am having dental surgery Tuesday. So not fun! I'm hoping to write one more chapter before I go on a bit if a break to heal up but we shall see! I hope you all like this chapter and a thanks to all of the people favoriting, following and reviewing! this chapter is set in the past. **

Hermione didn't return to the hospital wing to see Remus. It had been 4 days since they last spoke. The memories of the full moon kept him up most of the night, but more than anything, the words she spoke haunted him. She thought he didn't want her. She was so very wrong. He wanted her more than anything, but he couldn't. She deserved better.

* * *

Hermione grabbed Remus as he was walking down the corridor. She pulled him behind a tapestry and was instantly regretting her actions. They were far too close together and his smell of piney woods almost made her dizzy. He seemed to be uncomfortable based on his body language.

"Remus." Her voice was breathy and she saw him flinch. Her lips formed into a thin line, a look that could rival Professor McGonagall. "Right well, no beating around the bush. I'm Moony's Mate and there is no way I'm going to let him hurt you because I'm away at the full moon."

"Listen.."

"No Remus. You listen. I've read up on this okay? Moony just wants to be close to me, get to know me, protect me. I'm going to allow that. We don't have to...Erm...consummate the relationship. I mean Moony is going to want to mark me, but um, I'm hoping this agreement we have will satisfy the wolf. I've got to get to Ancient Runes so I will talk to you at a later date about the full moon over break."

She ran away before he could even speak. He was completely stunned that she was willing to accommodate for the wolf. For him even. He had a smile on his face until he realized the full moon was on Christmas Eve. He was going to have to either talk her out if coming or have an extremely awkward conversation with his parents.

* * *

He spent the remainder of the quarter trying to convince her not to come. Unfortunately, Hermione Granger is the most stubborn woman in the universe. He watched with anguish as the owl flew towards his childhood home. James, Peter and Sirius snorted in laughter behind him.

"Blimey Moony. You can be such a drama queen!" Sirius mimicked Remus's expression, throwing one arm forward, the other clutching his heart. Remus socked Sirius in the arm.

"Moony come on, it's going to be fine! You know we will be there. Your mum is going to love her. Stop worrying!" James tried to reassure his friend.

* * *

Hermione was pressed up against Calum in a broom closet. She needed some sort of stress relief and her sort of boyfriend was willing. Hermione's mind had other ideas. She didn't really recognize herself at the moment. Calum was handsome and could be very sweet, but he was also clingy and pushy. He was also not as smart as she thought he was. He couldn't keep up with her pace in conversations, his jokes were down right awful, and he often teased her in a way that was more offensive than playful. The more she got to know him, the more he reminded her of Cormac. So what the fuck was she doing? She could practically hear Luna Lovegood's bluntness.

"You're hurting Hermione so you've turned to a warm body instead of dealing with your problems. It's probably the Nargles doing..."

Hermione pulled herself out of her thoughts and away from the boy shoving his tounge down her throat.

"this isn't going to work. We are breaking up." She said avoiding his eyes.

She ran out of the closet and held back the tears until she made it to her dormitory.

Lilly was immediately by her side and held her. Lilly reminded her so much of Ginny and that only made the sobbing increase. She felt pathetic. Hermione Granger was better this. After several minutes she was able to calm her breathing, angrily wiping the tears off her face. She gave Lily an appreciative hug and took a long shower.

* * *

At breakfast the next day, word had gotten around about their breakup. Calum was far from broken up about it and was enjoying the attention. It turned out the female population was more than grateful for the split. Hermione rolled her eyes as a 7th year Hufflepuff sat in Calum's lap and glared at her.

"Hermione. You don't seem to be handling this well. Are you sure you are Okay?"

Lilly looked at her with worried eyes. They never discussed Hermione's mental breakdown and Lily was under the impression it all had to do with Calum. She opened her mouth to respond but a messy black haired Maurader interrupted her.

"Evans! The most beautiful woman in the world! How are you this morning?" James plopped himself down in between the two girls. Hermione tried to hide her smile. James was a persistent one and Lily was so set on denying her feelings. Hermione knew she'd give in one day. She really needed to start writing these stories down for Harry.

"Potter. Get your bloody paws away from me!"

"More like hooves." Sirius coughed. James sent him a glare across the table. Lily looked completely confused but turned her focus back on James.

"How about a date to Hogsmead?"

Lily didn't answer. She let out a frustrated groan, picked up her things and stalked out of the Great Hall.

"James. Just an idea. Do you think that maybe if you weren't so obnoxious she might actually say yes?" Hermione asked.

James chewed his eggs slowly, obviously thinking over her words. "You know what! I hadn't thought if that! You're brilliant!". James pulled her into a bone crushing hug.

Remus, Sirius and Peter immediately began yelling.

"Are you serious right now Prongs! We've been telling you this for YEARS!"

"Oh sure Prongsie! Listen to the new girl!"

"You have to be kidding me Prongs!"

James smiled sheepishly before running out if the hall. Sirius and Peter took after him but Remus stayed behind looking nervous.

"Um. Hermione. I've contacted my parents and they will be happy to have you Christmas Eve, but they want you over for the whole break." He was staring down into his plate, finding the roast extremely facincating. "We will go over to the Potters for a few days, but we have plenty of room."

"I'll write your parents to say thank you. I'll see you at Kings Cross Remus."

* * *

The Hogwarts Express pulled into Kings Cross Station and children came pouring out onto the platform. Hermione watched on with amusement as the four teenage boys hugged their parents. The need to maintain cool completely gone.

"Remus darling. We have missed you so much!" Remus' mother was stunning. She had long auburn hair, sunkissed skin, and a warm smile. She was petite and Remus towered over her. She watched Hermione out of the corner of her eye.

" Let the poor boy breathe Annie!" Remus looked identical to his father. John Lupin was tall, had that sandy colored hair, and the same handsome features. She noticed his parents were younger than the Potters. Finally they turned their attention to the bushy haired witch.

"Hermione. We are so happy to have you come stay with us!" Annie Lupin pulled Hermione into a hug.

"Thank you Mrs. Lupin. I really appreciate your invitation." The Lupin's gave her a knowing smile that made Hermione flush with embarrassment.

"Lovely to meet you dear. Now I think we should probably head home and get these two settled in."

"Charlus, Dorea, you'll see these two after Christmas." John said to James's parents who were looking at Hermione with curious expressions.

They side- along apparated to the beautiful English country side. Hermione stood in awe as she took in her surroundings. Woods surrounded the beautiful home. The lawn was freshly covered in snow and the sight of the winter wonderland brought a smile to her face. The Victorian house was massive and tilting slightly to one side. Hermione was instantly reminded of The Burrow. She admired the olive green shutters against the lighter green paint. Although the house was icy and frozen over, it still looked warm and welcoming. It already felt like home. The Lupin's were already inside and Hermione was lost in her thoughts. Annie reappeared in the open doorway and smiled at the girl.

"Hermione dear. Would you like me to show you to your room? You must be freezing out here."

Hermione jumped and turned to face the woman. She hadn't really been paying attention to the biting cold but now...

"Oh yes. Sorry Mrs. Lupin. I was just admiring your lovely house."

"Call me Annie please. And thank you. This house has been in the Lupin family for a very long time."

She followed Annie inside and up the spiral staircase. The dark wood on the stairs and handle was perfectly polished. Hermione was nervously rubbing her hands on her skirt before touching anything.

At the second landing, they came to a hallway filled with pictures of the Lupin family. The relatives kept waggling their eyebrows and winking at her. She stopped in front of the guest bedroom.

"This is your room, and Remus's is right next door. We are on the fourth landing, the library is on the third. Remus mentioned in his letters you shared his love for reading so I hope our collection will satisfy you. All of your things are in here and dinner should be ready at 5:30. Remus will come get you. Let me or John know if you need anything!" Annie gave her a quick hug and gracefully glided down the hall to the steps. Hermione took a deep breath before opening her bedroom door.

The room was a pretty lilac that reminded her of the dress she wore to the Yule Ball. Sheer curtains let in the perfect amount of natural light. Outside the snow appeared to be glowing as the sun set and twilight dawned. She had a large canopy bed, a mahogany desk, a bookshelf and a charming ancient wardrobe. She found all of her things unpacked and put up neatly. She pulled open a door and Hermione realized she would be sharing a bathroom with Remus. Not ideal but she would just have to remember to lock all doors before a shower.

She strolled back into the bedroom and flung herself onto the bed like a small child. She was smiling blissfully at the comfort when a snort startled her.

Remus had obviously seen the whole thing and was now laughing. Embarrassment rose and became apparent by her flushed cheeks.

"Oh hush it!" Hermione chucked a throw pillow at his head. The tosser caught it one handed with a smirk.

"Mum said it's time for dinner."

* * *

Break was going by quickly and the full moon was upon them. Remus was irritable all day so Hermione hid in the library. Mr. Lupin smiled fondly at the way she was completely engrossed in the book she was reading. She was so much like Remus. The young parents had been trying to play matchmaker ever since their son wrote home. The curly haired witch was something else. Always polite, but deadly witty. Meals were spent in laughter and they had fallen in love with the girl. Unfortunately, she was also stubborn like Remus. They were friendly with each other, but there was no flirting. Remus was avoiding his mate and she was avoiding her Remus. Annie and John spent a lot of their time spying on the couple like school children. They wanted grandchildren darnit! Annie cried tears of joy when she read the letter stating the Universe blessed their son with Hermione. For years they've watched Remus suffer. He finally had the chance to be happy and what does he do? John looked up to see Hermione watching him suspiciously. The girl was too smart, he thought.

John cleared his throat.

"I'd like to talk for a minute if that's alright with you Hermione?"

"Of course Mr. Lupin."

"John."

"Right. John. "

Silence crept up and John was getting hot around the collar. He wasn't particulrally good at these things.

"Annie and I can't thank you enough for coming for our Remus."

Hermione stared at him wide eyed.

"I'm sorry for putting you on the spot. you have to understand as parents, we would do anything to make Remus happy. We are eternally grateful Remus has found the boys and now you..." John fought back the tears.

Hermione however, could not hold them back. She smiled up at the man as she snuffled and wiped her tears.

"I know what it's like to be an outcast over something I have no control over John. I too, know what it's liked to be hated for what makes me, me."

"You're a muggle born?" John didn't ask the question with the usual judgment and malice behind the words. He just wanted to get to know the girl.

She nodded with a watery smile.

"And you really don't think less of our boy?"

"I promise you I don't. Remus is brilliant and kind. Anyone who thinks differently is seriously missing out."

John wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. He flicked his wand and tea was set before them.

"We should probably talk about the arrangements for tonight. The boys should be flooing over soon, just as a precaution. I've heard the wolf um. Enjoys your company. I know you feel confident he will not hurt you, but I'd feel better about having them there just in case. We have a basement we keep Moony locked up In but I assure you it's very spacious. I know it's not ideal, but it's all we have and it's worked for years."

"John. You don't have to defend the way you are keeping Remus and your family safe. Now if he was chained up...well I have a pretty heavy arsenal of hexes up my sleeve." She winked at him.

John chuckled but he didn't doubt the girl's words for a second. He had already watched her wandleslly and wordlessly cast spells around the house. He wasn't even sure if she knew she was doing it, but that kind of spell work took years to master. Hermione was brilliant. 'another reason she is perfect for my boy' he thought.

"While we await the three other trouble makers, how bout we play some chess?" John pulled out his handmade wizard's chess set.

"A warning. I'm dreadful at this game."

"Nonsense. I'll teach you a few tricks!"

* * *

Remus was laying on the couch downstairs waiting for his friends. The whoosh of the flames was followed by sound of feet, tumbling out.

"Aye Moony! How ya feeling?" James clapped him a little too hard on the back.

"Oh just peachy." Remus grumbled.

"Hey. Where's Hermione?" Peter squeaked out.

Where was she? Remus hadn't really seen her all day. Mind, he was avoiding her on purpose. The wolf was getting obnoxious with his need to be by her constantly. He reluctantly closed his eyes and listened for her in the house. Third landing. Library. With his father? He could hear her tinkling laugh and started for the stairs, taking two at a time. His friend's follow closely behind. The laughter grew louder until he reached the double French doors.

"And then I punched him in the face!"

"No!"

"Oh yes. The stupid ferret deserved it! He has always been an awful person. I can't tell you how good that felt!" Hermione and John broke out in another fit of laughter.

Sirius was never a patient person so he went ahead and knocked on the doors. Remus shot him a nasty glare.

"Is it that time already?" John said as he opened the doors.

"Yes father. Sorry to be such an inconvenience." Remus spat sarcastically. Hermione came up next to him and laced her fingers with his. Instantly he felt calmer. His father was used to these outburst around the full moon, but watching the two interact was very interesting. Hermione gave Remus a smile before pulling him down the stairs towards the basement.

It wasn't as cold as Hermione expected. John had already conjured some fluffy cushions for Hermione to lay out on. She had "The Hobbit" tucked under her arm and sat down. Remus was staring out the small window. As John closed the door and warded it, James, Peter and Sirius transformed and plopped themselves down on the floor.

When Remus started to tremble all over, he started taking his clothes off. Hermione kept her face buried in her book and hair. Remus's moans of pain made her flinch. She covered her ears to block out the sounds of his bones popping. Finally it was over. She looked up just in time to see Moony tackle her to the ground. He licked her cheek and sniffed her hair. Hermione giggled.

"Yes Moony. I missed you too! Now, would you mind getting off of me?"

Moony gave her that same Remus smirk before rolling her over so she was laying on his chest. She looked up to see the three anigmus watching warily.

"I'm fine. Moony is just an affectionate one." They laid back down.

Hermione cleared her throat and opened her book. "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort..."

Much later, the group fell asleep, but this time Hermione was woken up by Annie Lupin. Remus was naked (again) and was refusing to let Hermione go from his grasp.

Annie giggled and Hermione turned red.

"Hmm. Perhaps we should let him sleep." She covered them with a blanket and left the basement. Hermione didn't fall back asleep. Instead she watched Remus sleep. Gently, she traced the scars on his face and chest. He looked younger when he slept, perhaps more innocent. She marked with a feather like touch where the worry lines would be in the future. when she looked back up, she was startled to find his eyes open, staring at her.

"morning." Remus finally said.

"Morning." She wasn't sure what to say beyond that. This little arrangement they had was making it difficult for her to suppress her feelings for him. She thought she saw his featured soften before he removed his arm from her waist. However, there was no softness in the look he gave her now. She got the message loud and clear. Leave. So she did.

Remus sat up and put his head in his hands. He looked up to find his three best mates wearing matching disapproving looks.

"You can be a bit of an idiot did you know that?" Sirius stalked up the stairs and James followed.

"Happy Christmas." Peter said before bolting up the stairs.

Remus shrugged his pants on, casted a silencing charm, and broke anything he could get a hold of.


	14. Past Events

**a/n: I survived dental surgery! Hurray! Here is a new chapter and I'm almost finished with the next one so hopefully that will be up soon. Leave me some love! and I've been meaning to give individual thank you' sot all the lovely people following this story. So... Here we go. Thank you to, Ashamalee, Bananaphobia (sirsly? fear of bananas?!), Cassbutt-Destiel, Kilataia, LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL, Luckygirl1291, MarieOrtiz, SOA-The-Crow21, Silver Winged Maiden, TinyK56, catgirl87, dani asmar potter, fanfictionfan1990, frances2, , janiya, jmullinax, klaud9, metallicangel22, nightowl19, samanthakp, Serena-pearl05, takoda40, thunderrose2009. (Phew) **

When Remus emerged from the basement, he was surprised to find Hermione gone.

"But where did she go?" He asked his father.

"Lily's. She staying there for the remainder of the break." John looked at his son sympathetically. Remus got that temper from him. React before thinking. People didn't expect that of them, because the Lupin men were gentle most of the time.

"We can talk about this later darling. Let's open presents right now." Annie led him to the living room where his friends were tearing open each other's gifts. They would all return to the Potter's for more presents and dinner.

A few presents later, Remus spotted Hermione's dainty script on a small package. He opened it carefully, not to ruin the pretty wrapping paper. It was handmade chocolates in the shape of wolves. He felt incredibly guilty. She had obviously noticed his love for chocolate. She probably thought she was so funny and clever with the wolves, and to know she made these by hand made something stir in his stomach. A little note in the chocolate box told him they were each filled with a different flavor. She added two extra chocolate hazelnut wolves, his personal preference in chocolate. He tucked it away before the boys tried to steal them.

This was not the Christmas he imagined.

* * *

Hermione quickly packed, promised letters to the Lupin's and apparated to the Evans house. Lily responded quickly when a teary eyed Hermione flooed asking if she could come stay.

As Hermione landed at the doorstep of the Evans residence, she was instantly at ease. A normal house in the suburbs, with muggle children, playing with their new sleds in the street. She felt a twinge of sadness and longing for her parents, but squashed that feeling down. She was done being sad for the day. She was going to enjoy herself. Lily threw the door open and tackled Hermione in a hug.

"Mione!"

"Oh goodness. Not you too!"

Lily shrugged and pulled her into the warm house. Muggle Christmas carols were playing on the record player in the corner. Mrs. Evans swooped in like an owl and hugged Hermione tightly. Lily rarely brought friends over and she was just so happy for her daughter, which she said out loud, multiple times, much to Lily's embarrassment.

Lily introduced Hermione to the family. No surprise that Petunia stuck her chin up in disgust and fled the room. Lily squeezed Hermione's hand in reassurance.

"Sorry about her. She doesn't really like our kind." She said in hushed tones. Hermione gave Lily a wary smile

"Lily Bug. Let's get Hermione settled and then you two girls can help Mum with the Christmas cookies!" Mr. Evans was sporting a father Christmas hat and wearing bright red pj's. Mr. Evans and Mr. Granger would have gotten along just fine.

The girls clambered up the steps to Lily's room and relaxed for a minute. Hermione laughed at Lily's Beetle's poster with lipstick kisses on George's face. It was all just positively normal.

"Come on. Let's go! Mum will need our help!" Lily pulled her schoolmate from the bed and joined her mother in the kitchen.

They spent the afternoon covered in flour, ate a glorious dinner,and watched Christmas Specials.

They girls spent New Years giggling in Lily's bedroom over the Champaign the Evans let them "sip."

* * *

When it was time to return to Hogwarts Hermione felt refreshed, ready to focus on studying and finding a way home. Her first stop the night of their return was the Headmaster's office.

"Come in." Dumbledore's cheery voice said.

She sat down and Fawkes flew to rest on the desk in front of her. She pet the bird as they made small talk.

"Hermione, were you hear for a reason? Anything on your mind?"

"Well Professor. I was actually wondering if you've found a way for me to go home?" Her voice was very small and quiet. She managed to look in those damn twinkling eyes, only to find the headmaster frowning.

"Hermione, I've researched but nothing has been found. The way you arrived was very advanced magic.I suggest you live for now. You are here. Surely there is good you can do In this time?" Cue the twinkle. Hermione sighed, but nodded all the same.

"Is that all? Nothing else you wish to discuss?" Dumbledore quirked an eyebrow at her. She realized he was asking about Remus. This was mortifying. She could in no way have this conversation with Dumbledore of all people. She shook her head no a little too quickly and felt dizzy.

"Excuse me sir. I-I have to go. Studying and stuff." Hermione bolted out of his office for the Library. She needed distraction. Anything.

* * *

March 1977

Hermione avoided Remus successfully since their return from break. She would make very forced, polite conversation, but that was it. The Mauraders were torn. Hermione had become a bit of a staple to their group, but Remus was their friend longer, so they sided with him. Secretly, James would meet Hermione to ask advice about Hermione and Sirius would shamelessly flirt with her if Remus wasn't around. Hermione dove herself into her school work and often found herself in the company of Severus and Lily. Which is why, on a Friday, she found herself studying under a tree by the lake with the two. Spring was starting and today was perfectly warm.

"Hermione. If you don't stop that incessant parchment shuffling I'm going to ban you from the tree!" Severus sneered reminding her of the future Snape. Hermione had been searching thru her book bag for the past ten minutes.

"Oh. Sorry Sev. I think I've forgot my Tranfiguration essay in our dorm!"

Lily looked up and gave her a sympathetic smile. Almost everyone was outside enjoying the weather and Gryffindor Tower was a bit of a walk. "How about I walk with you? I need a break and a stretch."

"Sev, will be back alright?" Lily said with a smile that made him blush which he hid quickly with his Potions textbook.

They were just returning towards the lake when they heard a commotion. They looked at their tree to find James's wand pointed at Severus. He was dangling upside down with his knickers on display for the crowd that had gathered. Hermione felt her stomach dropped. This was a very familiar scene. Something Harry mentioned...

Lily and Hermione ran to stand in front of Severus, wands pointed.

"Expelliarmus!" Hermione disarmed James and was met with four, shocked faces. Snape dropped do the ground with a thump.

"What was that for?" James yelled.

"Potter! You absolutely disgust me!"

"Evans! We were just having a bit of fun!" James said defensively.

"Yeah. Snivellus here tried to hex us." Sirius pulled his own wand out and tried Levitate Snape again. Lily went marched up to him and socked him in the face.

'Well this is certainly not how this happened the first time around.' Hermione thought to herself. The Mauraders and the students around were completely shocked. Lily turned to help Severus up. Hermione rushed to his side.

"Get off me Granger."

"Sev. Please don't say anything you might regret." She whispered pleadingly to him. Lily reached for his arm and he violently shook them off before standing.

"I said get off! I don't need help from you filthy mudblood's!" He screamed in their faces. Hermione Caught Lily as she staggered back from the words he spewed. Tears flooded Lily's eyes and the look on Severus's face broke Hermione's heart. She suspected he fancied Lily.

"Lily...I. I'm sorry. I didn't..." Severus tried to step forward but Lily flinched.

"Get away from me. I never want to see you again!" Lily said harshly.

James stepped forward, and yanked his wand out of Hermione's hand. He put his wand on Severus's throat.

"You will never go near Lily again. If you do, you will pay. Understood?" He said in a dangerously calm voice.

Snape just scowled and stalked off.

Lily fell in Hermione's arms and sobbed. Hermione whispered consoling words into her ear.

"It's just a word Lily. You are so much better. So so much better than all of those prejudice Pruebloods."

The boys knew they were still in trouble with Hermione and Lily, but they helped them back to the Common Room. They sat on the couches in silence as Hermione continued to comfort Lily.

* * *

The one night out of the month Hermione couldn't avoid Remus was upon her. She ran down to the shack because she was running late. She got completely caught up in the library.

Several things happened as she pushed the door open announcing her presence.

Severus ripped off the invisibility cloak from behind her and pointed his wand at Moony. Moony tried to launch at Severus, but Prongs rammed into his side causing a distraction for a minute.

"Hermione. You need to get out Now!" Severus yelled over the commotion.

Hermione brandished her wand and sent Severus flying to the wall beside them. Moony turned to face her and started to make a reach for her.

"Hermione No!" Snape yelled. He aimed his shaking wand towards the Moony who now held Hermione protectively. "SECTUMSEMPRA!" He bellowed. The dark curse hit Hermione on her arm. She cried out in pain and the werewolf was now out for blood. Severus staggered towards the door. Just as Moony was about to lunge, Padfoot took a turn in distracting.

Severus stood and looked from Hermione, to Remus, and back. He had obviously figured out what was going on.

"You and this...this beast! You stupid girl! How could you let him mark you!"

"Not the time for this conversation. For heavens sake, get the FUCK out!" Hermione said quickly before sending her patronus to Dumbledore. She conjured a cloth to wrap around her arm. Within seconds it was bleeding thru. Severus gave her a conflicted look. "Oh honestly. Go!" She said as he fled the room. Before he was out of ear shot she yelled. "And you better tell Dumbledore the counter curse or I will inflict worse pain on you!" With that taken care of she marched up to Padfoot and yanked him off of Moony. He cowered back when he saw the look in her eyes and whimpered like a puppy.

"I can't say I'm particularly fond of you right now Sirius. You will think about your actions tonight!" Hermione reprimanded him as he followed a limping James out of the shack. Peter was no where to be found. She locked and placed several wards on the door With angry flicks of her wand. How the hell did she forget this would happen? First the incident with Snape and Lily and now this! A giant sandy paw dragged her backwards and she collapsed against the wolf and sobbed. She was angry with herself. So caught up in her own drama, she ignored events that she could have prevented. She cried until she ran out of tears. She was angry that she allowed Remus to be hurt, put into the situation where he could have killed Severus for god's sake! Moony started to tremble violently and suddenly, the werewolf transformed back into Remus. She looked up at him in amazement and checked her watch. It was only 1 AM.

"H-how..."

Remus frantically checked over her body for injuries, his body still trembling. She sat next to him, ignoring his nudity, in shock. She let him examine her body. When he got to the blood soaked arm he placed kisses gingerly around the area.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. This is all my fault..." He kissed up her arm continuing his apologizing. Hermione grabbed his face roughly and crashed her lips against his. He fervently returned the kiss and she broke it all too soon.

"Not your fault. No more apologizing."

The adrenaline from earlier quickly wore off and Hermione's arm kept gushing blood. She leaned on Remus, struggling to stay awake.

She heard a bang of the door opening and Dumbledore muttering some sort of spell over her arm, but she couldn't hold on any longer. Everything went black.

* * *

Hermione woke up in the Hospital Wing and saw Dumbledore siting in the chair next to her bed.

"I really need to stop fainting. It's all getting a bit too dramatic for my taste." She said weakly.

Dumbledore gave her an amused smile as he popped some of her get-well treats in his mouth.

"You are impressive Miss Granger. It took me about a half hour to break down your wards. And I have a feeling that wasn't even a quarter of what you can do."

She blushed at the praise from her Headmaster.

"I didn't realized I used to many sir. There I go with the dramatics again..."

" I always like a challenge Miss Granger. Well my time is up. A certain boy is waiting outside for you and it would be unwise of me to keep him from you." He gave her a wink as he left.

Remus took the chair the Headmaster had occupied and smiled at her.

"I'm glad you're finally awake."

She looked at him and noticed a fresh, gnarly scar on his forehead.

"Remus. How in the world did you change back before sunrise?" She watched his expression carefully. He had apparently not been expecting this question. His face went from surprise to a blush and ended on a look of anxiety.

"I'm not entirely sure. I saw. I mean Moony saw you get injured and I sort of fought my way forward? I suppose it was like the opposite of what Moony did when he fought his way out of the effects of the Wolfsbane. That's my theory anyway."

"And Moony didn't have any objections?" Like a flick of a switch, Hermione's know-it-all, bookworm attitude was back in full swing.

"For awhile he did. But he realized I'd be more use to you in my human form, so he let me change."

"You put it to use alright..."She said under her breath. Remus caught every word of it and looked at her blushing face with a raised eyebrow.

"You do realize, you were the one who kissed me first." Remus scooted closer with a mischievous smile.

"Bloody Marauder charm." She muttered. Hermione silently scolded her brain for letting it's filter down. All the while Remus leaned in close to her face. Her breath hitched as he captured her lips in a soft kiss.

"I've been a dreadful person to you. I'm really sorry Hermione. I really don't have an excuse for my behavior. I suppose no matter how hard I try, I'm still an immature sixteen year old boy. I want to give this a shot. You make me want to be a better person. Give me one more chance?"

"I have conditions."

"conditions..."

She gave him her best Marauder smirk and it made Remus very nervous. "Oh yes. You see, you were being an immature sixteen year old Pratt. And I want to know you are serious about giving this a try. So, here are my conditions." Hermione counted out the list on her fingers. Number one. You no longer get to live in denial about what's happening between us. We are bonded, might as well get used to that idea hmm? Number two. You are going to work on accepting yourself, Moony and that Unavoidable bond you share. What happened last night was frankly amazing. Moony isn't as awful as you think. Number three. You will work on your temper. And number four. For goodness sake, you will give me a chance to defend myself Remus John Lupin! I am nearly seventeen and not to toot my own horn, but I've held my own against death eaters and lived to tell the tale. I understand Moony takes over, but I want you to try. Comply to these simple terms and I think we can do this. Do you agree?"

Remus could only nod dumbly before she kissed him on the lips.

"Very good. Let's start with number three today shall we. Don't kill Padfoot just yet."


End file.
